Being the youngest child comes with many pros (and cons). Although it comes with mostly pros from being the “cutest,” being favored by grandparents (until cousins come along), and even having the easiest chores, there are a few cons, such as being the forgotten child by outsiders of the family. There was actually a time when I was standing right next to my sister while she was asked, by a family friend, “where is your sister tonight?” And even though there are a few obvious curses when it comes to being the youngest, it's more of a blessing than anything.
Older siblings always get blamed for everything.
Whether the dishes were left in the sink or the bathroom was left a mess, the eldest always got the blame and stink-eye from the parents. The older sibling is supposed to be older and wiser, which means they should have known better, right?
The youngest had an easier chore list.
I’m sorry for being so cute when we were younger that I only had a list of three chores while you had twice as many. Okay, maybe I’m not sorry, and maybe I used the excuse of “I can’t reach that shelf” for too many years, but it seemed to have worked, so therefore, I’m not sorry about that either.
The youngest always had more clothes.
They might have been hand-me-downs, but while my older sister had twice the chore list, I had twice the closet. Along with all the new clothes I got when we went shopping, I was also blessed with the lightly worn, and sometimes brutally worn, clothes from my older sister.
The path has been paved for you.
I don’t know about your sibling(s), but mine definitely wasn’t a saint. Thank you for that, though. You might have caused our parents more than one gray hair, but because of you, I only maintained them, and sometimes smoothed them down after another one popped up because of you. I was also seen as the good child, so thank you for that as well.
The youngest will always been seen as the baby.
Now this especially is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because of the many things that you get for being the baby, and a curse, because you are also seen as a baby by everyone, no matter how old you are. You still get treated like a 10-year-old even when you’re 20, but you also get lots of hugs and loving from your parents when returning home, even more than the older sibling does.
You are the youngest.
This means you didn’t have an annoying pest with their ear held to your door while you had friends over or some three foot pistol tattling on you constantly. You were that annoying pest and three foot tattling pistol.
Parental bonding came more often after the older sibling left home.
Whether you are a sibling of one or ten, being the youngest meant having more bonding time with your parents. After my sister moved to college, my mom became an even better best friend than she was before. Having only one child left at home means more attention is put on them; more dinners with that single child, more shopping trips, crafting time, and movie nights. But this also has its flaws when it’s your time to move away.
You always have someone to look up to and confide in.
I saved the best and most important for last, of course. Being the youngest means that you always have a best friend to resort to. From the recent break-up by a stupid boy to the fight that you and your parents just got in, your older sibling will always take your side and back you up. It’s by far one of the best blessings to come with an older sibling.
Although being the youngest child comes with many perks, there are a few cons, like leaving home following the years of bonding after the older sibling had left, being the forgotten child, etc. Even though there are multiple pros of being the youngest, the number one pro is always having someone to be there for you in times of need and someone to agree that the reason your parents are mad is the most ridiculous reason possible. The best part about being the youngest sibling is having a best friend who has been through everything you are going through.
