Wednesday, May 9, 2012

I'm the "Middle Child"

I think the birth order is interesting.  If there is a bus load of kids in a family, the first couple of them usually have to "take charge" much earlier than most kids their age.  I'm not sure how fair that is.
We all know families that popped out a "surprise" after several years - I think that baby must grow up like an "only child" for the most part.  Spoiled or ignored?
If there are several years between kids, you wonder if a bond develops or not.  My sister, Stacey, is 4 years older than me.  We're very close as adults but, honestly, I don't remember playing together much as young kids.  Lisa is just 2 years my junior so my memories of playing together involve her.  We were in the same school at the same time.  That wasn't the case with Stace as we entered post-elementary.
I know all three of us were parented differently.  Mom and dad were very strict with Stacey as a teen.  Her curfew was down to the minute.  I remember a story about her being grounded because she was late getting home one night.  She was sitting in her boyfriend's car - IN THE DRIVEWAY.  Jeez, mom, give a kid a break.
As a teen, I had a curfew also but I was always home on time.  Not that I was a goody two shoes.  Not by a long shot but I think it was a combination of never being one of those "stay out all night" kind of kids and the fact that mom and dad had a very active social life and were more relaxed in the curfew department.
I remember getting home really late one night (morning?) because the car I was riding in went into a snow bank coming home from a night of dancing at The Note.  I was relieved to see that my parents hadn't arrived home yet either.
I think I've digressed from the original intent of this topic - The Middle Child.  Apparently I'm supposed to have grown up feeling neglected.  Big deal over that first child and cooing over the baby and the hell with the one in the middle.  Either that never happened or I was oblivious.  I'm picking the latter because that oblivious condition seems to have followed me throughout my life. Honestly, I never got the whole middle child thing.  When I talk about the birth order in my family, I get this response:  oooooh, the middle child.  My reaction has always been a question mark on my face. Sometimes I shrugged my shoulders for affect.
I think about my mom.  Thirteen months after she was born, my grandmother gave birth to twins!  A boy and a girl.  I'll have to ask her how she felt about that.
Is "birth order" used if there is one child in the family? hmmmmm  Something to ponder.  Go ponder.

2 comments:

  1. My husband is the middle son of five boys born in five years to his parents. I think he is pretty normal, but his mom was a bit on the nervous side! Can you imagine?

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  2. OMG!!!!!!!!!!!! Five boys in five years?????????? Nervous wouldn't even come close to how I'd feel. I'm amazed she survived.

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