10 Parenting Mistakes That Middle Children Deal With

Source: Leland Bobbe / Getty

Putting them in the middle of fights

It’s common for parents to put the brunt of the blame on the middle child when a fight breaks out between all three children, or even just the middle child and one other. If the middle child fights with their baby, they’re told, “You should set an example. You should have taken the high road.” If they fight with their older sibling, they’re told, “Hey, you should respect your older sibling.” Somehow, they’re always wrong. If a fight breaks out between all three of them, it’s hard for the parents to believe any real tension arose between the eldest and the baby, because they’re so far apart in age, so they assume the middle child is the glue in this dispute.