Its official – Middle children ARE left out! New research shows that a third of parents with three children give their middle child far less attention than the other two.
And incredibly, four out of 10 parents find it so difficult trying to treat three children the same, they would recommend others stop at two children.
The poll has shown that 42% of middle children are forced to grow up quickly as they are often left to look after themselves. Getting dressed, making themselves a drink or something to eat becomes the norm from an early age.
And despite 34% of parents claiming their middle child got an easier ride due to the lack of attention, 38% also believe they were the naughtiest of the three.
TheBabyWebsite conducted the poll of 1,000 parents and 1,000 middle children. It revealed that exactly half of all middle children felt they were treated differently to their siblings when growing up.
Forty seven per cent felt they had to fight for their mum and dad’s attention, and 36 per cent felt there was no real role for them in the family. In fact, 55 per cent of middle children claim the youngest child got the most attention from their parents, and 36 per cent believe their relationship with mum and dad would have been better if they hadn’t had another child.
The results of TheBabyWebsite poll are fascinating, as both parents and middle children seem to feel there is no real role for the second child within the family unit. And so the middle child is left out! The oldest child is the first-born so already has a very special relationship with their parents, and as the youngest child is the last they adopt the role of the baby of the family.
But it is not all bad news. The research suggests that middle children actually fare better in life as a direct result of becoming more independent from an earlier age. A staggering 52 per cent of middle children say they were ‘mothered’ less than their siblings, and therefore learnt things more quickly.
More than a third were left alone to do their homework, but 45 per cent of them now feel that out of the three children they are academically more advanced and consequently did better at school.
Nearly half of middle children go on to become the highest achievers in terms of career, plumping themselves well-paid professional jobs. And when it comes to relationships, 26 per cent claim being a middle child has affected they way they conduct their love lives – as they are pushier to get what they want.
Six out of 10 middle children honestly believe that out of the three siblings, they are the happiest with their lives since leaving home.
And being the middle child doesn’t affect their relationship with their parents long term. By the time they leave home, 66 per cent claim they developed a closer relationship with mum and dad and forgave them for misjudging the situation.
It would appear that, being forced to stand on their own two feet from such an early age actually has quite a positive effect on a number of middle children, who go on to do really well in life. However, it is really sad to think of all those young middle children out there who feel less loved than their siblings.
The reassuring thing is that by the time kids leave home, they all feel they have as strong a relationship with their parents as the other two children.
April 7 2009
TheBabyWebsite.com poll of 1000 adults and 1000 middle children was conducted by OnePoll in February/March 2009.
Are you a 'Middle Child' or the parent of a 'Middle Child'? We'd love to hear what you think HERE! | 
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