The poor middle child


When I found out I was having a third child several years ago, my first thought flew to Jilly who was going to quickly become a “middle”. For some reason, middle children were the objects of much pity when I was younger. Woe is the poor, neglected middle child, and all that jazz.


I bought a birth order book to figure out how to keep my middle child from being totally screwed up by her place in our family.

I shouldn’t have worried.

If memory serves me correctly, this book basically said that “middles” were some of the most well-adjusted kids in the family. They weren’t pressured and hovered over like first borns, and they weren’t babied like the, well, babies.

And, while Jilly is only seven, I think this book may have been right.

A good friend recently wrote about her:

I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who is so unashamedly *herself* as (Jilly).

I LOVE this quality in her. I love that she hugs everyone, including adults who often look so surprised when they find her arms around their waist.

I love that she dances backwards in the supermarket while I push the carriage toward her, singing “you can’t catch me, you can’t catch me” as she boogies through the store.

Here she is dancing in Express:



I love that when her YMCA camp held tryouts for their YMCA’s Got Talent show, she tried out. By singing opera. I asked her, “what are you going to sing???” and was told, “Mom don’t be silly! Opera doesn’t have any words!” She didn’t make it to the finals, but she was content with her lollipop for trying out.

And when the last day of camp came to a finish on “Hollywood Week”, she donned an outfit much too warm for the 80 degree morning, but she sure looked cute.

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Her fashion sense is ridiculously awesome. I only wish I could dress with as much freedom as she does. And look so cute in knee socks.

I think my “poor middle child” is doing okay, don’t you?



Comments

  1. Issas Crazy World says

    I think she's doing amazing.

    It's funny but I worried too. Yet my middle kid is so much like yours really. So funny and entertaining and just so her that I really don't worry about it anymore. Maybe the thing about middle kids is they can be anything and everything all at once?

  2. Issas Crazy World says

    I think she's doing amazing.

    It's funny but I worried too. Yet my middle kid is so much like yours really. So funny and entertaining and just so her that I really don't worry about it anymore. Maybe the thing about middle kids is they can be anything and everything all at once?

  3. Whirlwind says

    She's doing great! She reminds me alot of my middle child.

  4. Whirlwind says

    She's doing great! She reminds me alot of my middle child.

  5. Subspace Beacon says

    Girl has got some great dance mojo!

  6. Subspace Beacon says

    Girl has got some great dance mojo!

  7. Aunt Barb says

    She's awesome!

  8. Aunt Barb says

    She's awesome!

  9. Oh. My. Gosh. That middle daughter of yours? Precisely like my own middle daughter (who turns 12 today).

    Hooray for middles!

  10. Oh. My. Gosh. That middle daughter of yours? Precisely like my own middle daughter (who turns 12 today).

    Hooray for middles!

  11. I love that girl to pieces. Pure spunk. By dribbling water on my legs to lure me into the pool, or cannonballing next to me until I relent and swim underwater with her, she reminds me to stop acting like a mom already, and get my goofy on.

  12. I love that girl to pieces. Pure spunk. By dribbling water on my legs to lure me into the pool, or cannonballing next to me until I relent and swim underwater with her, she reminds me to stop acting like a mom already, and get my goofy on.

  13. Julie @ The Mom Slant says

    I have similar worries about CJ, so it's heartening to see that not only is your girl doing fabulously well in her role, but it sounds like our girls have much in common.

  14. Julie @ The Mom Slant says

    I have similar worries about CJ, so it's heartening to see that not only is your girl doing fabulously well in her role, but it sounds like our girls have much in common.

  15. Tracey - Just Another Mommy Blog says

    We middle children do rock. It must be why everyone comments on my blog so much.

    Oh, wait a minute… Dangit.

  16. Tracey - Just Another Mommy Blog says

    We middle children do rock. It must be why everyone comments on my blog so much.

    Oh, wait a minute… Dangit.

  17. I think if you come from a family with no middle child you might be nervous about the middle child syndrome…. but my brother, definitely the most well adjusted of us 3.
    I don't think you have a thing to worry about. And neither do I. My middle child knows EXACTLY what she wants, when she wants it and how to get it. 🙂

    I do worry though that she does get A LOT of hand me downs, and less choices to make. Maybe that is why when it is her turn to make a choice she just does.

  18. I think if you come from a family with no middle child you might be nervous about the middle child syndrome…. but my brother, definitely the most well adjusted of us 3.
    I don't think you have a thing to worry about. And neither do I. My middle child knows EXACTLY what she wants, when she wants it and how to get it. 🙂

    I do worry though that she does get A LOT of hand me downs, and less choices to make. Maybe that is why when it is her turn to make a choice she just does.

  19. Hmmm…she'd match up with my Middle quite nicely!

  20. Hmmm…she'd match up with my Middle quite nicely!

  21. She is adorable and the girl has moves!

  22. She is adorable and the girl has moves!

  23. Jessica {Team Rasler} says

    Love the outfit! My brother, the middle child, is the most well-adjusted, too. If we decide to have a third, I'm going to remember that, and this post!

  24. Jessica {Team Rasler} says

    Love the outfit! My brother, the middle child, is the most well-adjusted, too. If we decide to have a third, I'm going to remember that, and this post!

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