Always the baby

Sibling Wars

Okay, so I’ll admit that there are some obvious perks to being the youngest child. The initial “OH MY GOD HOW DO WE EVEN RAISE A CHILD?” shock has worn off on the parents, and therefore they are typically much more lax with curfews, entertainment, and rules in general. Having an older sister who is four years my senior, I totally reaped those benefits. However, there are some major downsides to being the baby of the family. There is such a thing as being too babied and protected. In our early years, younger children are prime targets for smothering, as we are naturally cuter, smaller, and more helpless. We are also deprived of expressing our own fashion sense because if you are the youngest child, a good 75% of your wardrobe is definitely comprised of hand-me-downs. You know I’m right, younger siblings. Most dauntingly, being the youngest comes with a certain level of expectation. When you are constantly compared to older brothers and sisters, asserting your own identity can be exceptionally difficult. The world already has a reference for who you are and what you could be, but it’s ultimately your decision whether to live into that or not. The important thing is to make sure that you find your own self along the way.