As the youngest in my family, I've had more than enough time to observe all my older siblings' experiences. We've all heard stories of how the oldest served as an experimental guinea pig that parents didn't allow PG-13 movie viewing until sixteen, not receiving a phone until they could drive, and being assigned a ridiculous 10:00 pm curfew on the weekends.
We've also heard the flip-side of those stories; the oldest gaining argument rights when the baby of the family got their first phone at thirteen and being able to watch PG-13 movies at the age of three. As the youngest, and therefore on the receiving end of all things envied by the rest of my siblings, I believe I have the additional privilege of being able to present you with the five benefits I've noticed the baby of the family always reaps to the envy of all around them.
Let's jump in, shall we?
1. An endless support system for life's milestones
One thing that I will forever be grateful for is the endless support system all my siblings give me when I'm going through a rough patch in my life. It's almost like they sense my pubescent distress when I'm holed up in my room suffering from hormones and a face breaking out with acne. They probably sensed it because they remembered a time in their lives when they were struggling with similar teenage drama.
2. Boy trouble? No problem. Super Big Sis is on it.
You know, one of the major memories I have while on our family Alaskan cruise was my first kiss. I had a major crush on a Canadian boy and went to my big sis for serious romance talk. Ever since then, I've never hesitated going to my big sisters for academic, social, emotional, and boy troubles. Knowing my big sisters have my back whenever I need life advice is the best feeling in the world.
3. Need a source to discuss those unspeakable topics?
Now, I won't get into any nitty-gritty details, but having older siblings to discuss those things you'd die before bringing up to your parents is a true lifesaver! I don't know what I'd do without my big brother to discuss financial questions I'm too embarrassed to bring up to my parents or my big sister to discuss the ugly side of a high school relationship gone wrong. If you ever need an ear to help reflect on the tough things in life, turning to your siblings is a great solution. Odds are they've already been through the situations you're going through now and just busting at the seams to share their hard-earned advice.
4. Life wouldn't be the same without a crazy older brother hassling you.
I can't count how many Thanksgivings, Christmases, and Easters where my big brother lovingly gave me a noogie that completely devastated my festive hairdo. However, when I look back on those holidays, one of the greatest memories I have are all those fights over the last stuffed mushroom and the frizzy hair locks I received as a result of my brother's fist. To be honest, I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't have my big bro protecting all his sisters from anything that dares to threaten them. It's a nice feeling, a noogie for a knight in shining armor...well, I wouldn't go that far.
5. That didn't work out? Ok, try not to repeat mistakes.
I guess this one could be a double edged sword because it's probably responsible for my overly cautious and naive side. For my final youngest child benefit, I've thought long and hard about how my "baby of the family" status has affected my personality. One of the things I've noticed about myself is that I have tried my entire life to prevent repeating the mistakes I've seen my older siblings make over the years. Though I am super grateful to have dodged some disciplinary bullets that have affected my siblings over the years, I've noticed how much I've developed a fear for the unknown. I'm not worried though, I know I have my big brothers and sisters to watch my back.
