DEEP DIVE: Middle Kids
b'This is one of our deep dives on how kids are shaped by their siblings. Find the rest of the episodes in this deep dive series in this Spotify playlist. \\nMost people believe middle children are prone to feeling insecure and left out because they get less attention. Their primary emotional state? Jealousy of siblings. Studies show that we think these problems are real and inescapable. A City College of New York study found participants were most likely to use words like \\u201coverlooked\\u201d to describe middle children\\u2014 while completely unlikely to use the word \\u201cspoiled.\\u201d\\xa0\\nPsychologist Dr. Alfred Adler first proposed a \\u201cmiddle child syndrome\\u201d in the 1920s, and ever since, most of us have assumed the Jan-Brady worst. But Dr. Adler also believed that middle children\\u2019s place in the birth order made them \\u201cuniquely poised to succeed.\\u201d Are we getting it wrong? Are there lifelong benefits for kids who grow up neither the pressured oldest nor the coddled youngest?\\xa0\\nIn this episode we discuss:\\xa0\\n\\n\\u201cmiddleborns\\u201d vs \\u201cclassic middles"\\n\\nthe negativity of the \\u201cmiddle child syndrome,\\u201d and whether or not it bears out\\n\\nwhy middle children are more independent and open-minded\\n\\nwhy middle children have a greater appetite for risk\\n\\nhow the \\u201cambient neglect\\u201d a middle child sometimes receives can be an incredible gift\\n\\n\\nWriter Adam Sternbergh, himself a middle, says that\\xa0"being a middle child is not something you aspire to; it\\u2019s something that happens to you.\\u201d While that may be true, it also turns out that we should perhaps all be jealous of them. Being a middle kid can be secretly great.\\nHere\'s links to research and other writing on the topic discussed in this episode:\\n\\nAdam Sternbergh for The Cut: The Extinction of the Middle Child\\n\\n\\nDr. Catherine Salmon: The Secret Power of Middle Children: How Middleborns Can Harness Their Unexpected and Remarkable Abilities\\n\\n\\nLindsay Dodgson for Business Insider: \'Middle child syndrome\' doesn\'t actually exist \\u2014 but it still might come with some surprising psychological advantages\\n\\n\\nRisk-taking middle-borns: A study on birth-order and risk preferences \\n\\n\\nAbi Berwager Schreier for Romper: Do Middle Children Really Have More Issues? Jan Brady Wasn\'t The Only One\\n\\n\\nAlphaparent: Optimum Family Size Facts \\n\\n\\n\\nWe love the sponsors that make this show possible! You can always find all the special deals and codes for all our current sponsors on our website:\\nhttps://www.whatfreshhellpodcast.com/p/promo-codes/\\nmom friends, funny moms, parenting advice, parenting experts, parenting tips,\\xa0mothers, families, parenting skills, parenting strategies, parenting styles, busy moms, self-help for moms, manage kid\\u2019s behavior, teenager, tween, child development, family activities, family fun, parent child relationship, decluttering, kid-friendly, invisible workload, default parent, middle child, siblings, middle kid\\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices'