Application Essay: The Neglected Middle Child There is an old adage that I like to say when I reflect upon my past as the “middle child” of the family: “First is not the worst, and last is definitely the best.” For me, this statement sums up a life being ignored by my older and younger siblings, which definitely defines a “pecking order” in my family. I have an older brother and an older sister, and a younger sister, which, in turn, makes me the “middle child.” I cannot remember all of the attention that my older brother and sister received, since I was not born, but I can assure you that I felt the ramifications of not getting fair treatment with my siblings. Naturally, my mother and father doted on my older brother, since he was the first-born …show more content…
This brilliant method would have made economists, such as Adam Smith or Karl Marx, jump for joy, as I was given the task of babysitting my younger sister. Of course, my older siblings were just too busy, and could not be bothered. For instance, I remember helping my younger sister learn how to stand, which should have been the job of my mother. My mother was a great mother, but she had a stunning epiphany that her children could also make great workers in the ‘factory” of child raising that left me the sole “employee” on the job. Surely, we had a big family and we all needed to pitch in, but I remember taking on a little too much responsibility as the middle child. After all of this, getting extra attention added to the burden of my labors, which included having to continually remind my mom and dad that I needed help with my homework, and other aspects of being a kid. After much coercion, I did get the help that I needed, but what a chore! More so, I also gained the mutual love and respect from my younger sister, since she remembers that I was there for her when she was learning how to take her first steps in life. These are the wonderful, yet harrowing aspects of self-promotion that had to endure, but nevertheless, I love all of them a great
We are always searching for other people’s approval and acceptance. Being the middle child in my family has always felt like a competition for the attention of our parents. I lived fairly close to my elementary school growing up. I remember that every day on the walk there my mom would give me kind of a pep talk, “don’t talk to strangers” “make sure to eat and drinks lots of water” and before I left, she’d give me a blessing (she’s very religious) and the last thing she would say was “you better get straight A’s”. She used it metaphorically; meaning just the best you can be at everything you do and literally as in getting straight A’s. Being in elementary school, I didn’t get letter grades, but instead a numerical system where fours represented A’s. It was a routine that I’m very grateful I grew up with the competitive mentality, but it caused a rivalry against my brother. The moment I’d get home, I would excitedly tell my mom how my reading skills improved or a “cool” drawing I did in class. Later, my brother would come home bragging how he got an A on his history test or how he joined the soccer team. Seeing how he got more attention that day I’d strive to be superior the next day and even more involved growing up. For a second, I became unhappy being involved in so much school, I had to go to school from 8-3, had tutoring since 3-5, and practice till 7. This took a hard impact on my
Without the results of studies done on the birth order, by people like Jeffery Kluger, the power of birth order would remain a mystery to us and we would not have as deep of an understanding of siblings. While there is still much about the workings of oldest, youngest, and middle children that we have not yet discovered, the studies conducted on birth order so far have enlightened many parents on how their children’s relationships work. However, while scientists have unraveled many mysteries about the birth order, the constant variables presented to scientists as they study the birth order does hinder the progress of their research, but there is always a hope that someday scientists will be able to completely understand the impact and function of the birth order in sibling’s
My grandparents would say that I was the baby girl of the family. The characteristics that I associate with this position is developing helplessness because of being spoiled or pampered. As I got older I felt this characteristics more and more. I did not know how to take care of myself, and turned to substance abuse to get through. I started going down my own destructive path. According to Corey, “Youngest children tend to go their own way, often developing in ways no others in the family have attempted and my outshine everyone” (2013, p. 108). I can guarantee I developed in ways my family has never attempted to even try or think about.
Across family life-cycle literature, the arrival of a first child into the marital structure is considered to be one of the most common and key stages a family will experience during its development. Further, it also possesses the potential to be one of the most stressful examples of change within the marital relationship with the experience of having a baby being ranked at 6th out of 102 stressful life events1.
Growing up in my family I was the first born of two children. For me this meant that I was the ultimate guinea pig for my parents, and therefore how I was raised was much different from how my younger brother was raised. I notice, now that I am older, there were many differences on the parenting techniques that were used to raise us both as individuals. Ultimately this caused my brother and I to be totally opposites. To this day I feel like birth order plays a large role in my family, and sometimes it is hard to watch my brother get of easy when I am living a more difficult life.
Growing up in a big family has taught me so many things... One, to never take things for granted and two, you always have someone to rely on and always have fun with. Being the youngest sibling and youngest cousin, i’ve gotten to hear so many of their life changing experiences, and the one that has had the biggest impact is TWB. My older cousin Whitney Miller went on TWB in 2001 where she met her husband John Miller. My other cousin Zach went in 2008, and my uncle John Ellington was counselor for 2 years. Getting to hear the different stories and perspectives of their journey on TWB has made me wish to have the life changing experiences they still continue to talk about. I go to school at Community School of Davidson and I have since kindergarten.
My family had moved to Oregon when I was 7 into hunter’s run apartments and we moved AGAIN when I was 9 to SW Bonnie Meadow Ln, into a fairly nice house. Now, as older children do when they have younger siblings, I didn’t get much attention, but I did have many more responsibilities. Most of which were chores or keeping an eye on my brother, John, and my sister, Mikayla. Mikayla was by all means the closest to me at the time and John was just my younger brother whom my mother adored. Our relationships, however do change but that’s
In this brief authors Epstein, Griffin and Botvin, (2008), Maintains that young sibling play an important role in shaping their environment. During an individual’s early childhood, attitudes and behavior is developed. However, the author believes that older sibling plays an important role in creating family standards and structure throughout the lifespan (Epstein, Griffin, & Botvin, 2008).
Whenever I tell people that I am the middle child, they often respond with a sad “Aww” or just a sympathetic shake of the head. They, like most, believe that people who are middle children are lonely and introverted, constantly being ignored and overlooked by their parents. This is only partially true, but not in a bad way. For instance, I have become more independent than my other siblings, as I was often not patient enough wait on my parents to help me with things. I’m the kid who wakes up on her own and does her own laundry. So, while some people see being a middle child as an unfortunate disadvantage, I see it as an opportunity to mature and grow sooner than others.
In the past couple years, I faced emotions of loneliness, worthlessness and even depression. I spent those years trying to figure out what was the cause of these serious emotions and one of the answers that I stumbled upon was when I finally talked to a therapist about dealing with my depression. The simple answer was the relationship with my family and the environment I was in; Figuring out what to do about it was the next giant leap. Throughout history, America has been known as an immigrant country that uses the phrase “The American Dream” over and over, but what is it really? “That dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.” (James Truslow
I have three siblings along with three nephews. I have a younger sister, older sister, and one older brother. My older sister is the one that had my nephews. We all lived under the same roof until I moved out for college. My mother was more like my father in the house because my father was away working for us, and even though my siblings are her children, it seems that they 're her siblings too. It felt that I was the parent of my nephews and little sister because of the way I had to care for them because everyone else was working. I connect with my immediate family firmly. We always look out for each other because we mean so much to one another. I
As we know, the family life cycle refers to different stages of person’s life from childhood to retirement. In each stage, people face challenges in the family life that allow them to build or gain new skills. No one can pass through those stages smoothly and without concerns with financially problems, disease and issues from family members. Rather, the lifespan cycle means people development process from prenatal to late adulthood. The similarities are both of them had physical and mental development, also meet the different challenges in the different stages. What is more, I believe that family members are indispensable element could affect people life, whatever in the family life cycle or the lifespan cycle.
Family structure can greatly impact the day-to-day activities of a family. A family with one parent may have a very different dynamic than one with two parents, or possibly even more parents. It is no surprise that these differences exist and families and that one’s family impacts their way of life. However, does it make a significant difference? Or is it simply a difference in how people react to their situations. That is what I wanted to learn from this assignment.
Taking a look back through the years with family history, it is remarkable how things have panned out to lead you to the point you are to in your life today. To sit here and think about what if my grandparents had never met or if my dad didn’t get the job that led us to my hometown where or what would I be doing today. I come from a long line of hard working men and woman who have always tried to make a better life for their family and descendants who have yet to come. In the past my family has had multitude of occupations and interests such as: My father Mark Coleman has been a police officer for the FBI and has now converted to National Instant Check Back Round System, My mother Lecia Coleman is currently employed with the Board of Education but also does beautician work on the side. Other members have been coal minors, farmers, antique dealer, medical field, military, postal employees, retail, nanny, machinist, cooks, mechanic, and seamstress. Growing with a family who is always working whether it is at work or the house it has instilled a great deal of work ethic within me. I have had a job sense I was sixteen years old working and learning the value of a dollar. I have always been an outgoing person who isn’t afraid to try something new, dancing and 4-H are probably the two things I am most passionate about in life. For as long as I can remember my maternal grandparents have been taking me to different events to help broaden my horizons in different types of music and cultural education. Both sets of grandparents were in 4-H so all of the kids and grandkids were at least put in 4-H at one time or another.
In this discussion, I will be explaining how I define family. I will also include my immediate and extended family. I will also describe what family means to me, how mine differs from other families in my neighborhood, and also how they are similar. I will also describe my family’s ethnicity and how it may affect any of my family’s health.