Middle Child Syndrome

  For some people, middle child syndrome is little more than an urban myth. For others, it’s an obvious reality. The truth is that growing up in a family in the middle position isn’t always easy. Often, the older sibling symbolizes the figure on whom all the positive reinforcements are placed, while the little one is fussed over and pampered. It was the psychotherapist, Alfred Adler, who introduced the syndrome of the middle child, highlighting how these siblings perceive their position in the family unit in a more complex way. According to Adler, they usually feel somewhat neglected and alone…