9/26/09

ARTICLE: The Sandwich Child

If you have three children, you have one of the sandwich child families. The middle child gets, precisely, caught in the middle. The oldest will always be the eldest and the first to do almost everything. The youngest is the baby of the house. Where does that leave the middle child? If all your three children are boys or all girls, this factor is even worse because of comparisons. If you have this situation in your house here are some tips to help you out:
  • Always keep your middle child in mind. When talking about the day´s events or when planning something, focus on him or her, or ask them to talk first.
  • Find an activity or sport that only he or she can participate in. This will help make them unique in that area.
  • Set a day aside for him or her. Once a week or every two weeks, take them out to chat in the park, or out with the bikes for a moment of just you and him/her.
Keep in mind that each child is different and some middle children can really have their feelings exposed while others will keep all bottled up inside. Watch your middle child extra carefully so they don´t become a sandwich.

TIP OF THE DAY

When walking in a crowded area, hold your child by the wrist, instead of the hand. It´ll be much harder to get separated from this grip.