I am reading a fascinating book called The Secret Power of Middle Children by Catherine Salmon and Katrin Schumann. It's making me reflect about the influence birth order can have on our lives. The authors argue that middle children have special strengths which they must develop in order to differentiate themselves from their eldest and youngest siblings. (By the way, Salmon and Schumann say any child who is not an only, an eldest or a youngest, qualifies as a middle.)
So here, in a nutshell, is the general theory: Parents focus more on their eldest and youngest children than on their middle kids. The down side for middles is they miss their parents' attention, but there's an up side, too. Because middles are left more to their own devices, they have more freedom to become who they want to be.
There's more to the theory: Typically, eldest children tend to be bossy take-charge sorts. (I hope my big brother is not reading this!) Youngest children tend to be ... well ... spoiled. (Now I'm worried that my little sister may be reading this blog entry.) Salmon and Schumann say middle children are often creative and go out of their way to avoid conflict. They also describe middle children as "friendship specialists" -- a trait they say middle children cultivate in order to build connections outside their families.
So if, like me, you're working on a book or a story, you might think about the role of birth order in your characters' lives.
I write a about self-help books for the Montreal Gazette, and I'm reviewing The Secret Power of Middle Children for my October column. How 'bout I let you know when the column appears?
Signed, Middle Child