National Middle Child Day
National Middle Child Day:
National Middle Child Day is celebrated every August 12th to honor the in-between child in a family. Larger families may celebrate multiple middle children.
Year | Date | Day | Where |
2023 | 12th August | Saturday | United States |
2024 | 12th August | Monday | United States |
2025 | 12th August | Tuesday | United States |
Twitter Hashtags:
#NationalMiddleChildDay
#MiddleChildDay
Related: Other National Days Celebrated on August 12th
Why is there Middle Child Day?
Sibling rivalry can be honest if you have multiple siblings. Parents often give less attention to middle children than their younger siblings. However, middle-aged children can learn critical skills that will help them succeed in adulthood, despite their insecurity and resentment.
It doesn’t matter if “Middle Child Syndrome” is true, but it is essential to remember that middle children can be overlooked, especially in large families.
Parents tend to give more attention to the youngest and oldest children in families with more children than they do to their children. Middle children may feel neglected or forgotten. There have been studies on the relationship between personality and birth order, suggesting that middle-aged children may be resentful or withdraw from their parents because they grew up watching.
Alfred Adler was the one who developed the famous Middle Child Syndrome Theory in 1964. This theory states that birth order is a significant factor in personality development and that children are different depending on the order in which they were born. A middle children may be quiet and competitive with their siblings, and they can also be diplomatic and adept at solving disputes.
How Can We Observe National Middle Child Day?
August 12 is the day to recognize your sibling in the middle, the meat of the family sandwich. Celebrate your unique role in the family if you are a middle child. Remember all middle-child children. These are some ideas to consider:
- Invite them to your favorite homemade dish.
- Send them a card and share a special memory. (Make sure that the memory is from the middle child and not one of your children.
- Invite your middle child to coffee.
- To find out more about your child’s day, call them. This is particularly important if your child doesn’t call you often.
- Go for a walk with your child. Play a game with your middle child or play one of their favorite games.
- Play a board or card game.
- Your middle child may have a middle child. You can suggest that you all go on a day together.
- Don’t forget to share your ways to have fun with your middle children! Use hashtags #NationalMiddleChildrenDay and #MiddleChildrenDay on social media.
Interesting Facts about Middle Children’s Day:
Here are a few facts about middle children that will help you appreciate your sibling or middle child.
- Middle-aged children are now endangered
According to The CUT, parents today choose to have only one or two children instead of the four-child policy of the late 1970s. Families choosing to have fewer children are influenced by the availability of birth control methods, higher living costs and women who work more complex jobs.
- Middle-schoolers have exceptional negotiating skills
Katrin Schumann (co-author of “The Secret Power of Middle Children”) says that middle-aged children “… are more open to compromise and can look at all sides of any question. They also have more extraordinary patience than first- or last-born kids.
- Sibling bonds and friendships are more potent than those with parents
Schumann and Dr Catherine Salmon, Schumann’s co-author, noted in their book that middle children have stronger relationships with their siblings and friends than their parents. This is because middle children spend less time with their parents as they grow up and have to compete for their attention with siblings.
- They are great partners, but they do not make good friends with other middle-aged children
Middle children can be closed-off and not communicate their feelings well. Kevin Leman, a psychologist, believes that a “middle-child partnership” is terrible. Leman tells the insider that pairing a middle child and another middle child will cause further communication problems.
- Middle-aged children should strive to be diverse.
After growing up around a large dining table, Patty Stonesifer, Bill & Melinda Gates founder and CEO, said that she learned to be comfortable with disagreement and conflict.
She said conflicts could be productive if people are kind and not mean.
- 23 of 46 U.S. presidents had middle children
According to Business Insider, fifty per cent of the White House staff were middle-class children. Some of the most notable middle-child Commanders-in-Chief are Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson and John F. Kennedy.
- Many middle-class people are successful
Middle children are more likely to be successful because of the many skills they have acquired and developed as children. Madonna, Bill Gates and Kim Kardashian are all famous middles.
- The “Middle Child Syndrome” is a misnomer
Natural science does not support the notion that middle-aged children are ignored and forgotten. The idea stems from the belief that lack of attention can be harmful.
Salmon explained to Insider that there is a common perception that the firstborn gets all the attention, and however, babies get a lot more attention than the firstborn. Salmon explained that people naturally tend to believe that if they are in the middle, they will not be noticed, and therefore they won’t stand out.
History of Middle Child Day:
Elizabeth Walker established the Middle Child Day in 1980 to celebrate the Middle born children of every family. It was initially observed on the second Saturday of August. However, it became accepted that it should be observed on the 12th of August. Some believe that one’s birth order can impact one’s personality. Middle child syndrome is a feeling of exclusion and isolation in the family. Studies have also shown that the oldest and youngest children get the most attention while the middle child is often left behind, often forgotten or ignored. They often feel they are not part of the family and have to compete for attention. All parents need to realize that all children are equal and should be given the same attention.
Today is the perfect day for parents to recognize that all children are equal, and they have a responsibility to give each child the best attention. You should treat yourself if you are a middle child, and it is possible to increase awareness about middle-born children among people.