Middle child syndrome

Middle child syndrome is the feeling of exclusion by middle children (those with one younger and one older sibling). This effect occurs because the first child is more prone to receive privileges and responsibilities (by virtue of being the oldest), while the youngest in the family is generally considered the baby. The second child (or middle child) no longer has their status as the baby and is left with no clear role in the family, or a feeling of being "left out". Despite being used to explain a child's behavior, middle child syndrome is not actually a clinical disorder.