There are pros and cons when it comes to being the only child, the oldest, middle, or youngest child, the second to oldest, the second youngest, etc. Unfortunately, we all gain one of these positions and keep it for the rest of our lives. I completely understand that there are pros and cons to these positions, but people seem to think being the baby of the family is the best. I would have to disagree for multiple reasons! I may not know what it is like to be the oldest, but from experience, many people seem to think being the youngest is a breeze. Wrong!
Being the baby, means you’ll always be the baby. You’ll always be treated like the youngest, not by just your parents, but your older siblings as well! You could be 22 years old, out of college, but still can’t make “adult decisions” because you’re younger than everyone else. You grew up with not just a mom and a dad, but an older brother, or maybe two. And they always acted like another set of parents. But worse, because they weren’t your parents. They’re your siblings.
You have high expectations. Your sister loved this activity, so maybe you should too. She had a great experience at this school, you should too. You feel the pressure to enjoy the same things as your older siblings, even though you may not have as good an experience. But you always have to give them a try, because your sister did!
You want to make your parents just as proud. Whether or not your parents will admit it, you are compared to one another. Your siblings are friendly competition. You want to be just as smart, if not smarter than them. You want to be as great as them, as pretty as them, and have as great accomplishments as them.
You get hand-me-downs. This can sometimes be considered a good and bad thing, but let's face it, we don’t always want to wear the same outfits our older siblings once wore, especially if they’re out of style.
Your parents learned from their mistakes. It’s true. Parents do make mistakes (whether they admit it or not), and they learned from the mistakes your older siblings made. They let them go out late one night to a party, but they messed up? You aren’t even given the chance to prove you could be responsible in that situation. Because your older siblings weren’t, so why should you be? You’re the youngest!
I love my older siblings, and it’s true that they have taught me so much, and have always been there for me. But being the baby of the family isn’t necessarily the best thing in the world. My older siblings will always be there to protect me, and love me. I love them. But sometimes they forget that as they get older, so do I. I may not know the pros and cons to being the oldest, etc. But I do know the cons and pros of being the youngest. And although some people may believe there are more pros than cons being the baby, I would have to disagree.
