If you grew up with siblings, you're well aware of the sometimes humorous, sometimes abhorrently annoying dynamics of the situation. If you're the youngest sibling, you tend to only see the annoying parts. As the youngest of two siblings, I'm here to say that I have survived childhood and four of the struggles that came along with it. Here they are.
1. Being known as "so-and-so's" little sister.
When you are the last to emerge into the world, you are the last to be able to make a name for yourself. Going into school, the teachers know you by association with your sibling and are unable to realize that you are your own person. You are accidentally called by your sibling's name and expected to follow in their footsteps. When I was going into high school, I was expected to be like my sister, Rachael. She was in student council, choir, band, science olympiad, cross country, swimming, "A" honor roll, and many other activities and extracurriculars. Naturally, I participated in all of these as well as the other things that I found interesting. This made for a heavy load and a confused teenager.
2. Not being "cool" enough to hang with your sibs.
In my family, I'm not only the youngest sibling, but also the youngest cousin. In my pre-middle school years, my siblings and cousins liked to play a fun little game where they hid from me. My sister and cousin Kristen used to have a "call" that they used to signal to each other when I was coming. I would search and search, but young me was unable to find them. This made for a pretty lonely time at family gatherings. As I got older, this game disappeared, but the feeling of not being as close to my family did not. I think this is part of the reason that I was a shy child and am still a shy young adult.
3. Believing that your siblings' ideas are great ideas.
The youngest sibling tends to look up to the older ones, as they are obviously so much wiser and more experienced. Any idea that they have is, of course, the smart and right choice. When your big sis tells you to sit in a flimsy, plastic laundry basket while they give you a shove down the stairs, you look at them with your big, adoring eyes and brace yourself for the ride. When she tells you to climb to the top of your parents' closet to look for hidden Christmas presents, you gladly oblige and ask her to give you a boost. When she tells you that she can give you a great haircut, you grin from ear to ear and end up with diagonal bangs. After that, when your brother hands you a pair of scissors and says, "She messed up your hair; cut a chunk out of hers!" you giggle and do exactly that.
4. Being compared by your parents.
Parents aren't supposed to favor one of their children, but we're all human—we all do things we shouldn't. The only options given to the younger sibling of an angel are to do more things and to do them better, or to rebel. I chose to try a little of both. What did you choose?
As I said, I trudged through these struggles growing up and came out the other side with a smile still on my face. It is possible to defeat these struggles and be your own person! To my fellow youngest children out there, I leave you with this message: You can do this. You are your own person. You are a cool human.
