DAY IN THE LIFE: I Have Five Younger Siblings
An inside look at an older sister’s responsibilities.
5:00 a.m.
My day begins when I wake up and get ready for school. I leave my house at 6:12 a.m. to get to my bus stop. I arrive at school and proceed through my schedule of six classes: AP Government, Journalism, Color & Design, Physics, English, and Pre-Calculus. It’s a busy day, but I like to think of school kind of as a break from my responsibilities at home with my siblings.
My favorite part about picking up my siblings is when Alfonso and Alberto, my two youngest brothers, run up and hug me.
2:10 p.m.
As I wait for the bus to take me home, I’ll either listen to music or talk to my friend, Giovanni. When the bus drops me off, my sister will pick me up, or I’ll walk down to my siblings’ school. My favorite part about picking up my siblings is when Alfonso and Alberto, my two youngest brothers, run up and hug me. It’s my favorite part because I’m very close to them, and my sisters and I have helped raised them. I see them as my little babies, even if they are annoying sometimes.
3:00 p.m.
Back at home, my siblings and I usually just rest, whether it be taking a nap, watching TV, or lying down with my phone — it just depends on how I’m feeling that day. It’s usually just me and my five younger siblings hanging out, since both of my parents and older sisters work.
After dinner, we start our homework. Sometimes it’s a struggle.
3:30 p.m.
After I take a rest, I start making food for my whole family. For a family of ten, I have to make plenty, so it takes me a while depending on the food I make. Some foods I’ve made are enchiladas, fish tacos, rice and chicken with bell peppers, spaghetti, and others. While I make food, my siblings play outside or do their chores around the house, such as taking out the trash and recycling or picking up the living room or their bedroom.
7:00 p.m.
After dinner, we start our homework. Sometimes it’s a struggle because my siblings love to complain and whine when they have to do their homework. AP Gov and Pre-Calc homework takes me the most time to complete. If my parents come home during this time, then I’ll serve them food. It’s easier when my mom gets home because she helps my siblings with their homework so that I can focus on mine. After they’re done, they watch TV for awhile before they shower.
8:30 p.m.
At this time, I’m working to get my siblings to shower. While one showers, the other two take out their clothes for the next day. After the older three shower, I bathe the twins and take out their clothes for the next day. After everyone is clean and ready, they eat cereal or cookies with milk before lying down.
9:30 p.m.
My mom likes to have them lie down in bed by this time so they’ll be asleep by 10:30. This way, it’s not hard to get them up the next day. Once they are in bed, I’ll go to the back house with the twins. I’ll usually lay them down and finish my homework around this time because I take a lot of breaks to do other jobs.
10:00 p.m.
When I’m finally done, I get in the shower. Once I’m out, I do my skin care routine and take out my clothes for the next day. Finally, I lie down, and if I’m still not tired, I’ll scroll on my phone until I fall asleep.
This cycle repeats until the weekend.
Priscilla Lopez is a senior at Yucca Valley High School and a member of the Class of 2022. She enjoys watching TV when she has time to spare. Her favorite show right now is Money Heist.
