I'm the youngest of three so I guess I can say that my parents have seen it all. My brother, the one who didn't like school but excelled at computers. My sister, who was a hard-working child and still stresses herself out to continue achieving high results (which I admire her for). Then there's me, the bratty, lazy, spoiled youngest child.
Being the youngest:
I guess I can say that I'm glad that I'm the youngest. Because, by the time I get around to growing up and such, my parents have usually already gone through it with either of my siblings. They know what to expect and aren't surprised when it appears.
Not only that but they're more experienced with parenting, especially when it comes to teenagers. They see what my siblings have gone through and try to change how they handle things so that bad experiences won't be repeated in more than one of their children.
But aside from the good, it can also suck to be the youngest. For example, it's so hard to stand up for yourself when you're the youngest. I don't know about other families but I was always taught to respect my elders. So even now, at 17 years of age, I try to respect my elders, even if some of them don't deserve it.
Also, it's SO difficult to deal with all the expectations placed on you if you're the youngest. It's like yeah, so what if my sibling got 99.99 for their UAI. It doesn't mean that I have to get 100!!!!
On being the oldest (according to my 'research'):
It's good because you get all the new stuff and pass down all the used stuff to your siblings. This applies especially for clothing and technology. Also, it's likely that your parents MAY be more lenient towards you because they still need to learn how to be a parental sort of friend to their teenagers.
It can really suck because you get stuck with all the expectations as well as all the slack because your parents aren't sure how to deal with you. Parents may try to control you and force you to do what they want you to do. Also, they may try to keep you in their clutches so that you wouldn't grow up.
Sometimes, parents have just got to know when to let go.
3 comments:
Hey, feel for me!
I have the classic "Middle Child Syndrome" - all of the disadvantages, none of the benefits, but really, the grass is ALWAYS greener on the other side.
You may think that you're having it tough and others are just cruising along, but they might think likewise of you. It makes it hard to be jealous of others when you think of it that way.
You admire me? Awww...that's so sweet, thank you. I don't really stress out that much now....do I?
may be i should add some more for being the ONLY child as well...
I'm the youngest, and I think its great. XD
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