Words by Hannah Angelique Bacani
Remember all the times your parents told you that they love you and your siblings all equally? Yeah, well… Hands in the air if you ever doubted this because you’re a middle child. Not to be as dramatic as the youngest, but nobody just ever understands the struggle of being stuck in the middle of the family sandwich.
READ ALSO: This older sister learned something valuable about grades and happiness from her baby brother!
You might have heard of this thing called “Middle Child Syndrome” which is technically not a clinical condition, but describes on point how middle siblings tend to feel ignored because they’re stuck in between the overachieving eldest (Yes, kuya, we’re looking at you) and the gets-everything-they-want youngest.
But fret not, middle sibs. We got you. We listed down 10 things that only you can relate to.
10. You have been mistaken for your older/younger sibling
Or have been called by their names. The middle siblings are just not as memorable, are they?
9. You’re the peacemaker
You had to stop the panganay and the bunso from fighting and pulling each other’s hair out. Middle siblings just want everyone to be happy and peaceful and quiet and civil. Mostly because they’re tired of being in the middle of the drama.
8. You sometimes get ignored
Overshadowed by the achievements of their older siblings and the dramatic tantrums of the youngest, middle siblings sometimes get ignored. It’s not all that bad though, because that means you can also get away with all your shenanigans.
7. You’re independent
Because they oftentimes go unnoticed, middle siblings have learned to find their way around difficult situations and do things on their own.
6. You lived with hand-me-down everything
From your clothes to your childhood toys, everything has been your older sibling’s first. And you still gotta take care of it, because your younger sibling is still going to use it. Nothing’s ever just yours.
That’s also why you’ve mastered the art of sharing.
5. Sometimes you’re just… lost
Since you’re both an older and younger sibling, it sometimes gets confusing when to act like what. You have to be respectful of your older sibling, but also be understanding of the younger. Being in the middle is just too much work. Smh.
4. You learned to just go with the flow
Whatever whims and gimmicks your siblings have, you just go with it. You can be the kaladkarin friend sometimes.
3. You’re a good negotiator
Because you’re used to not getting things the way you want them, you learn to negotiate and make sound arguments. You also learned early on what it means to compromise.
2. You’re the well-adjusted sibling
You know how to compromise, you’re independent, you know how to share, you can handle and get in between of a bunch of cat fights. What more can we say, you’re doing well, sweetie.
1. You’re stuck in the middle… and it’s not at all that bad
You get to be close to all your siblings that way.
Do you have any middle sibling feels? Let us know!
