The shortcomings of being a last born
If you’re an older sibling, find something else to read! Younger siblings — welcome!
I’ve always struggled with being compared to my older sister, and I am fairly confident that if you are reading this, you’re a fellow sufferer of this unfortunate situation.
We all know that younger siblings can get away with murder; pulling the innocent card has to be one of the greatest benefits of being the youngest. But once you get past the stages of youth and the notion of adulthood rears its ugly head, this is when being the younger sibling will make you want to forget your whole existence.
For my older sister, anyway, the standards were pretty damn high; she was a straight-A student, national event rider, flourishing artist, natural beauty, she passed the driving test first time… she was the poster child nobody would want to be compared to! Her latest impressive venture was moving away to Africa to become a safari guide! As far as older siblings go, this one is pretty hard to compare to.
Family and friends will constantly reassure you that everyone is different, and you should never compare yourself, but everyone knows deep down that accomplishments will forever be compared!
Here are my top 4 reasons why being a younger sibling can be a total nightmare:
1. Becoming a people pleaser!
I have found myself being a complete people-pleaser. In anything I do, whether that be getting a degree or deciding where to take someone for lunch, I must make the best decision to impress others. Sometimes I catch myself wearing a certain style of clothes to match someone else’s when I hang around with them, just to impress them! I’m no psychologist, but my guess is that I’m so desperate to be seen as the best at something, that I satisfy others happiness over mine.
2. Always in a competition
We are in direct competition — same parents, same upbringing, same school- let’s see who flourishes, and who falls to the ground and humiliates themselves countless times. Its almost like a mini social experiment to see if the pressure of being as good or as smart becomes too much and you fail.
3. Baby of the family
The ‘baby’ label never seems to falter, even when you move away, learn to drive, and get a boyfriend — nope, you’re still so young, need constant protection, and helicopter parenting is essential! Not only am I the youngest sibling, but I’m also the youngest cousin, and the youngest member of the family for that matter! Without acknowledging the slight favoritism I receive from my gran, every other aspect of this is not fun. I am truly sorry if you experience this!
4. The reality of homesickness
It is my observation that older siblings leave the nest at whatever age, and parents don’t seem to be overly bothered. They still have a child at home to lecture about not doing drugs, and to nag about putting on the dishwasher fifty-odd times a day. When the younger sibling finally leaves the nest, it’s a huge deal, and their worries about you not dying along with the prolonged, emotional goodbyes makes leaving home seem like a huge deal.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some perks to having an older sibling; getting free clothes, having someone (sometimes) looking out for you, and having someone do things first in life to trial it out for you before it’s your turn. But on the whole, it’s a struggle!
