Having a little brother or sister is something that can be both a gift and a curse.
Especially when you're really young. Maybe you think you're little sibling is a pain in the butt, or maybe you think it's annoying that they copy you. Maybe you're angry that it always seems like your parents go easier on them than they ever did on you. Maybe they get things and privileges you were never allowed to have.
That all may be true. I know my parents definitely let my little brother get away with a lot more than I ever did at his age.
However, having a younger sibling can also be amazing for a lot of reasons, and my little brother has shown me that firsthand.
1. They keep you up on pop culture.
I cannot stop saying "Yeet," and I am not even sorry.
My brother thinks it is hilarious. I exclaim it at work all day long, and it has sort of become a staple of my everyday vernacular. I also enjoy saying things like "That's a mood" and the term "Big Dick Energy."
These are the things flying around the internet nowadays, and it if it weren't for my brother there is a large possibility I would have no idea what anyone was talking about. My brother is also very fond of sending me memes. So, I often open a message from him to receive some sort of new popular meme that's circulating.
It always makes me laugh. You have no idea how much of our culture is engrained in references until people start making them to the things you've never seen or heard of before. Thanks to my brother I am always up to date on the new apps, shows, vines, and topics of conversation. I don't have to feel like an old fart just yet.
2. They keep you young.
My little brother is a great deal younger than me, and that age gap has often assisted me in staying very young. When I was in high school, my brother was still in elementary school. It gave me a reason to do things like arts and crafts or singalongs or pumpkin patches.
It kept toystores and Santa Clause in my house until I was well into college. I got to keep the wonder and merriment of what it's like to be a little kid in my day to day life for a lot longer than I would have if there hadn't been a small child in the house.
Even now, my brother is in high school as I am off in the world, graduated from college and finding my way. He is taking classes I have taken with teachers I had, and it is always reminding me of the past and the things I have experienced. It keeps me in touch with what it was like to be a teenager. Which, surprisingly, aids me a lot in being an adult. It's a good reminder of how far I've come.
3. They hold you accountable.
Believe it or not, your little siblings look up to you. Even if you think they don't.
They're watching you and everything that you do and say. They are absorbing your successes and mistakes. They will emulate you, they will love you, and in some cases, they can resent you if you mess up. My little brother looks up to me a lot, and for a long time, I didn't even know that he did.
I thought he was just doing his own thing- and he is. He's his own person. However, that doesn't mean that he isn't watching me and looking up to me.
I am his older sister.
He joined the drama club because I did when I was in High School. He even listens to a lot of the same music that I used to. He tells all of his friends that I work at Disney. He even bragged about me using the word "Yeet" as I mentioned earlier because he thought his schoolmates would find it cool and funny.
Speak kindly to your siblings. Encourage them, don't tear them down. They care about what you say and think, even if they haven't told you so. And make good decisions.
For me, my brother looking up to me spurs me to do my best at all times because I want to be someone he can be proud of, want to be like, or want to talk highly of to his peers. Having a younger sibling inspires (or should inspire you) to be the very best version of yourself because they are seeing everything, and they will hold you accountable for your actions in so many ways.
My younger brother is 10 years behind me, but even with that age difference, I still consider him one of my best friends. We talk all of the time, he makes me laugh, he introduces me to great new music, and he inspires me every day to succeed. Having a younger sibling, yes, sure can be a pain sometimes, but more often than not, it is actually amazing. I love being a big sister, and despite some of the frustrations that come with the job, I always will.
