Oh! The middle child!! National Middle Child Day.

It’s never easy being stuck in the middle - especially the middle of the family! It is no surprise then that according to new research from ALDI that 40% of middle children say there are more drawbacks than benefits to being a middle child.

Ahead of International Middle Child Day on August 12, ALDI conducted research to better understand the experience of being a middle child. It found that middle children can feel hard done by in the sibling stakes with 56% saying they received less attention from their parents growing up and 51% saying they got in more trouble than their siblings.

Moreover, just 29% believe they got away with more than their siblings and only 26% describe themselves as attention seekers. 

While being a middle child may come with its downsides, it does appear that it can also have a positive influence on a person’s outlook and attitude, with 75% of middle children saying they are better negotiators than non-middle children and 69% believing themselves to be better peacekeepers and mediators. 

It seems that most middle children come to embrace their identity in adulthood with 54% saying they feel more comfortable as a middle child now that they are older. And despite everything, most middle children say they wouldn’t have it any other way with only 33% saying they would prefer to not have been the middle child.

It seems that being born a middle child can spur you on to greater success in life: there are certainly many famous middle children including Sarah Jessica Parker, Anne Hathaway, Bella Hadid, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Jennifer Anniston, Madonna, Zayn Malik, Chris Hemsworth and even Princess Diana.

So, perhaps being a middle child isn't all bad. They're not just attention seekers stuck in the middle – they are skilled peacemakers, negotiators and diplomats who keep the whole family on an even keel and still talking to each other.