PRESS RELEASE: TheBabyWebsite
Written: Wednesday 8th April, 2009
MIDDLE RIDDLE
NEWS COPY
The 'middle' child in a family gets less attention than their older and younger siblings, a study of parents revealed yesterday (Tues).
A third of mums and dads who have three children admitted that their second born gets left out.
The poll of 1,000 parents and 1,000 middle kids also revealed that 42 per cent of second borns believe they grew up more quickly because they were left to fend for themselves.
Kathryn Crawford of www.TheBabyWebsite.com, who commissioned the study, said: ''The results of this 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.
''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.''
It also emerged despite 34 per cent of parents claiming their middle child got an easier ride due to a lack of attention, one in three said they were the naughtiest of the three.
The study also found one in two middle children felt they were treated differently to their siblings, being left to get dressed and make themselves drinks or food from an early age.
Four out of ten said they had to fight for mum and dad's attention and one in three felt there was no real role for them in the family.
In fact more than half of middle children claimed the youngest child got more attention and 36 per cent said their relationship with mum and dad would have been better if they hadn't had another child.
The upside is the research suggests middle children fare better in life as a direct result of becoming more independent from an earlier age.
One in two said they were 'mothered' less than their siblings, and therefore learnt things more quickly.
More than a third said they 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 polled had gone on to become the highest achievers in terms of career among the family.
And when it comes to relationships, 26 per cent claim being a middle child has affected they way they conduct their love lives - making them more pushy.
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.
ENDS
Research conducted by global market research company www.onepoll.com
