From a totally unbiased fifth sibling of nine.
Lent 2026
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When people talk about their families, they often talk about their position among their siblings. This can spark the odd disagreement about which position is preferable. Science has even backed this, saying the eldest children are the most intelligent (cough, cough, I beg to differ!), the youngest are spoiled and showered with attention, and the middle children are just plain neglected. In fact, so hard is the lot of a middle child that they even get their own syndrome — the Middle Child Syndrome.
Well, after my own very scientific research (questioning all the middle children I know), and personal experience of being a brilliantly placed number five in a brood of nine, I would argue that being a middle child is in fact a very privileged position. Here’s why.
