Does your place in the family shape your personality? A new large-scale study published in PNAS in December 2024 explores how birth order and family size may play a role—and found that middle children ...

Birth order theory suggests that older, younger, and middle children may develop certain personality traits based on their place in the family. Middle child syndrome describes feeling overlooked, ...

When we think about childhood, most of us picture two intense phases: the active and exhausting toddler years and the emotional rollercoaster of the teenage years. But somewhere in between lies a ...

Being the middle child of the family creates distinct emotional experiences, which sets these children apart from other family members. Middle children usually experience a unique situation, because ...

The middle child has been stuck with a bad reputation for decades—either as the forgotten one, the rebel, or just the “meh” sibling. But this narrative is tired, outdated, and overlooks the rich, ...

EDITOR’S NOTE: Sign up for CNN’s Stress, But Less newsletter. Our six-part mindfulness guide will inform and inspire you to reduce stress while learning how to harness it. Mothers bear much of the ...

Children's intake of ultra-processed foods spikes significantly between toddlerhood and middle childhood, raising concerns over long-term health impacts like higher sodium and sugar consumption and ...

Expertise from Forbes Councils members, operated under license. Opinions expressed are those of the author. A common punchline is that middle children are often overlooked when compared to their ...