4 Reasons Why Being The Family Overachiever Is Annoying

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You know who you are. You were the sibling who constantly took AP classes, participated in almost every extracurricular possible, and instead of having a boyfriend, you had an ACT/SAT study book with you at all times. Being the first kid in my family to move out of the Midwest and decide not to attend community college, I have learned that being the token overachiever in a family can be stressful and frustrating. No but seriously: why can’t they just understand the importance of a perfect GPA?

1. You are the only one who freaks out about grades.

Ever since I can remember, I have been going crazy over my grades. I seriously cannot understand people who decide to go to the movies on a weeknight instead of writing that paper on eugenics that may or may not ruin your grade in biology class. While the rest of your family talked about how amazing the special effects were in the newest Harry Potter movie, you sat in the background thinking about how you were going to make up for the little work your team partners contributed to your Huckleberry Finn English project (this can be difficult for those of us who CANNOT draw, okay?)

2. You usually end up being the family mediator.

Family scares the hell out of you. Why? Because you’re the resident family mediator. Guess who gets to settle the argument between sibling Y and sibling X over a pair of stained pants that humiliated them in front of their seventh grade crush? You do. And playing peacekeeper gets annoying really quick. It’s a job that your parents should really be in charge of, but because they have to deal with your many other siblings and their conflicts, you are left to deal with these little battles (which are usually the worst because they’re typically about Pokémon cards and stupid things like that). The key is to not get TOO wrapped up in sibling vs. sibling conflicts. Sometimes a good fight over a pair of stained pants is, in hindsight, a fight that you and your family can bond over when they all realize how ridiculous they were behaving.

3. You are constantly told you need to date more.

The question “Will you be coming home for Christmas alone?” is never really relevant. While your parents and the rest of your siblings cozy up to their significant others, sharing romantic “first encounter” stories, you sit in the corner drinking your third cup of hot chocolate with cookie crumbs all over your face. It’s not necessarily the fact that you are not dateable, it’s just that you are waiting for that perfect someone. Why should you put up with someone who has a weird Adventure Time addiction or snores two minutes after they lay down for bed? Sure, you’re single. But the big city that you live in is also full of fabulous, single people. We may not have someone to come home to every night, but we definitely have Ben and Jerry’s and the latest rerun of Seinfeld (which are both extremely comforting, TBH).

4. You’re automatically the last one picked.

Usually the rest of your siblings will treat you like the know-it-all in the family. So instead of being the number one candidate as a teammate for board games like Pictionary (which you really should be), you end up sitting awkwardly waiting for the one sibling who is “forced” to have you on his or her team. But remember: this isn’t something to worry about. You may not be the most social and fun sibling in your family, but you are the one who they will turn to when they’re having a mental breakdown over a boy or if they failed their latest Hamlet test. You’re the one they’re going to need when all else seems hopeless.