I grew up with a brother who is six years older than I am, and a sister who is four years older than I. So I am definitely the baby in my family. Most people assume the baby in the family is someone who is overly spoiled, someone who lacks fundamentals, and other things. I am here today to put some myths to rest, and to explain the pros and cons of being the youngest child
Being a naturally optimistic person, I am going to start with the cons of the situation, so I can end my article on a very positive note. One of the cons of being the youngest is having to watch your older siblings do all the cool and amazing things you are looking forward to. For example, I was only 9 years old when my brother got his learner's permit. I was so excited and couldn’t wait to drive myself. However six years takes a lot of time, and I am not a very patient person. My sister got to dip into the dangerous world of staying out late, hanging out with boys, and wearing makeup. All while I was still trying to braid my Barbie’s hair! I was so jealous of her, and I couldn’t wait to grow up and be as beautiful as her. I wanted to do all the things her and my brother were doing. I was so focused on trying to grow up and be like my siblings that I forgot to sit down and embrace being my age. I also had the worst habit of comparing the things that they got to do, to the things I was doing, which was definitely not fair to my mom.
Next are the pros of being the youngest, which is definitely my favorite part. So one thing I quickly learned was that there was nothing that I could do that would surprise my mother. I wanted tattoos? Hah! Both my brother and sister had already had them. I snuck out late to go get some Taco Bell, not a problem. It may have seemed as if I was getting away with more, but in reality, my mom’s energy had been burnt out on my two siblings. Another perk to being the youngest has been having two amazing older siblings who always have my back. Do they boss me around? Sure. Do I annoy them to no ends? Of course. But when it comes down to the wire, my siblings always have my back and they would never let anyone or anything hurt me. Also, being the youngest child brought out a competitive edge in me. If my brother or sister had accomplished something, you can bet that I would try to do it later on the road, but even better, which is a good thing for personal achievement!
So if you are ever feeling down about being the youngest sibling, because trust me, I know that sometimes it can suck a little bit, just think about all the amazing qualities there are associated with being the youngest. There are pros and cons to being a sibling, older or middle, but I feel as if being the youngest is definitely the best. You get to watch your other siblings grow up, and hope that you turn out to be half as amazing as they are.
To my two older siblings, thank you. I love you.
