12 Struggles Every Youngest Sibling Knows Way Too Well

1. Watching your older siblings have all the fun

Whether it was high school house parties or wearing makeup, there were always things that your older siblings did that you were just too young to do. These fun-filled activities seemed glamorous and exciting while you were forced to sit on the sidelines and watch. Of course, as you got older you realized these things were not all they were cracked up to be, but it still bugged you to no end.

2. Dealing with your parents’ strict rules

By the time it was your turn to be a wild and rebellious, your parents already had the whole discipline thing down to a science. You watched as your older siblings made massive mistakes that only made your chances of teenage freedom dimmer and dimmer. Calculated curfews and constant phone calls we’re all side effects of having troublesome older siblings.

3. The attention was never on you

One of the most challenging parts about having older siblings is that there accomplishments always seemed bigger and better than yours. While you got the mvp trophy at your little league soccer championship, your older brother had just graduated from high school, so nobody really seemed to care. The older siblings always seemed to shine while you sat idly in the background.

4. Teachers always compared you to your older siblings

Now this may have been a perk or a disadvantage, depending on what kind of students your older siblings were. If your older sibling was the valedictorian that all of the teachers knew and loved, congratulations, you lucked out. However, for many of us, this meant being on a teachers bad side before a class even started. If your older sibling was the type to cause havoc and was constantly in and out of the detention room, you knew you were in trouble the minute your teacher saw your last name on the attendance sheet.

5. You were always left out

No matter what your older siblings did for fun growing up, you never seemed to be part of it. Whenever your older brothers and sisters had friends over, you were always the pesky little sibling that they tried to avoid at all costs. Whether it was playing house or building a fort, you were always just too young and too uncool to participate.

6. Living up to standards

The easiest part about being the older sibling is that you will always be the one casting the shadow. One of the things that a youngest sibling will struggle with the most throughout their entire life is trying to live up to the high bar of standards that their siblings have set for them. Your parents have expectations now that they have seen all the wonderful things that your siblings have accomplished, and you definitely never want to be the one to disappoint them.

7. Hand me downs

Arguably the worst part about being the youngest in the family is all of the undesirable hand me downs that are forced upon you. It didn’t matter if you hated your older sister’s rainbow overalls, you were going to wear them and you were going to like them. For every occasion you needed an outfit for, your mother was always there with many options from the clothes of older siblings past.

8. You were always the last one to know

This was especially true with family business. Because you were the youngest, your parents always felt like they needed to break things to you gently and consequently, you were always the last to know. You wouldn’t find out about family matters for weeks or months after they happened. In fact, there are probably things that you still don’t know about today.

9. Getting rides from your older siblings

Watching your older siblings grow up and get their licenses was tough, but trying to convince them to drive you places was even tougher. As soon as your siblings were old enough to drive you places, your parents automatically handed down the family chauffeur position to them. No matter how close or far the destination was, your traveling needs were always an inconvenience and convincing them otherwise was never an easy task.

10. Constantly being teasing

As the youngest sibling, your older siblings always seemed to be conspiring against you because and only because you were the youngest. It was always a team effort when the older siblings made fun of their younger brother or sister. You were the butt of all of the jokes and it was a constant effort to pretend that you weren’t fazed by them. Unfortunately, this never really ends. Even when you’re an adult, your older siblings will still insist you were an accident or adopted.

11. Older siblings feeling entitled to everything

The front seat of the car, the last slice of pizza, the larger of two rooms. There are infinite things that your older siblings felt like they deserved because they were older than you were. You were constantly trying to fight this complex, but no matter how valiant your effort, your parents usually sided with them.

12. Everyone treats you like a baby

If you’re the youngest sibling in your family, theres a high possibility that everyone in your extended family pinched your cheeks and treated you like an infant until you were 16. In their eyes, you will always be the slobbering, messy toddler that they all cooed over at family parties. No matter what your age, they will all still blabber on about how they just can’t believe how fast you’ve grown up.