Why I Hate Being the Middle Child at Home

I've always been the middle child in my family. My sister's two years younger than me and our brother is four years older, so he's mostly out of the loop when it comes to household things like cooking or chores. But as a middle child, I feel stuck between being bossed around by my big brother and having to take care of my little sister. For example, every time we have guests over, my parents rely on me to make sure everything is perfect, from making the beds to setting up snacks in the living room. It's like they forget that I'm not just an extension of them; I'm a person with my own needs and desires too! The other day, we had this huge family gathering at our house. My parents were busy talking to their friends while everyone else was mingling around. I felt like the only one responsible for making sure no plates or glasses went missing during all that chaos. Even though it's technically a shared responsibility among siblings and parents alike, I've never seen anyone step up besides me. To make things worse, my little sister kept running off to play with her toys in our room while guests were still around, even when I asked her multiple times to help out downstairs instead. And guess what? When she didn't listen and came back covered in mud after playing outside unattended, the first question everyone had was 'What are you going to do about it?' directed at me. Now, don't get me wrong, I love my family very much, but this constant expectation that I handle everything without complaint or even a little support is exhausting. Is it just me who feels this way when being the middle child? Am I being too selfish for wanting more help from others? So here's where I'm hoping someone out there can offer some advice: how do you stand up to these kinds of expectations while maintaining family harmony? And if anyone else has been in a similar situation, did you find ways to change the dynamics and share responsibilities better with everyone involved?