The birth order plays an essential role in the personality development of any individual
by influencing their behaviors and perceptions of the world. Fundamentally, growing up as a
middle child after the birth of my younger sister Amanda in 2004 made me realize the challenges
that children in that position experience. At first, I believed that the middle child syndrome was
simply a myth or an unfounded theory without any logical claims. However, since I was no
longer the last born, the attention that was granted to me continued to diminish. While I may
have experienced middle child syndrome after the birth of my younger sister Amanda in 2004, I
believe that the perceptions have significantly contributed to building me to become a strong and
courageous person.
The withdrawal of my parent’s attention towards my younger sister may have left me
broken, lonely, and uninspired. Unlike before, my parent’s eyes were mainly focused on the
needs of the younger sister, since she was indeed the youngest person in the family. On the other
hand, I realized that my elder brother also attracted more of the parent’s attention than I could.
Their focus was more on my brother’s studies, overall wellbeing, and his concerns about life. In
one occasion at the dinner table, my younger sister uttered that “I am dad’s favorite, and Kyle is
mom’s favorite.” While I did not have any hatred towards my siblings, the statement made me
feel less of a family member. Thus, the lack of attention towards my parents may have signified
the middle child syndrome at some point in my life.
Surname 2
Overcoming the challenges associated with middle child syndrome improves an
individual’s strength. In my case, accepting the child order position has been a source of
inspiration. More than before, I began to feel the need to work hard in studies to become
responsible and competitive, to presumably attract the attention of my parents. I wished to
become a victor in the participation of every activity at school or home. When playing sports,
basketball or softball, I made efforts to become the best player to demonstrate my strengths.
Through dedication to sports, I aimed at obtaining recognition from my family. While my
brother was still better than me in sports, I hoped that my determination would someday win me
an award in my family.
While my position in the family has taught me to become competitive and responsible, I
have acquired a sense of independence because of the lack of attention from family members.
Since my parents primarily focused on the concerns of my younger sister after 2004, I learned to
be creative to solve most of my issues without necessarily asking for help. Hence, the experience
strengthened my skills to be innovative in problem-solving, even though I still needed financial
support from my parents. However, for the minor issues that do not need financial attention, the
experiences have groomed me into a creative problem solver. Thus, through this independence, I
have become strong to resolve the major issues that an individual encounters in life.
Although being a middle child poses significant challenges to any child, in my case, the
experiences have groomed me into a problem solver and a creative thinker. However, I have
realized these outcomes after optimistically viewing my birth position. Similar to an “Oreo
cookie” that has the sweetest cream in the middle, I realized that my birth position could mean
far better outcomes than the negative ones. The limited attention paid to me transformed me into
the independent, creative, and innovative problem solver that I have become today. I have
Surname 3
become a hardworking individual, anxious to realize how it feels to capture the attention of close
friends and family members.