Written by: Abigail Wise
I first want to say, I’m so sorry you have clicked on this. It’s lonely at the bottom, isn’t it? Your sibling is the child. It’s not that you’re not loved, you are! But, not as much as your sibling.
My brother is 20 years old, putting him a year younger than me. This kid has opportunities fall into his lap, I’m not kidding. At eight years old, he was cast as one of the main characters in a baseball movie. Was the movie good? No, it was horrible. Did he make a boat load of money for just smiling and acting cute? He sure did. After this movie, casting directors and agents loved him. He got cast in commercials, other low-budget films, and eventually started modeling. My parents ate it up. To make matters worse for me, everyone loves him. I wish I was exaggerating. He followed me to the same college, and just decided to work his charm on every person under the sun. I literally have been referred to by some of my own friends as “his sister.”
Enough is enough. Us forgotten children that have been left in the cellar of our parent’s minds are finding some secret weapons that can help us escape, and I am here to show you all of them. Here are some tips on how to stand out when you’re not the favorite child.
Find something that you’re good at, that the other sibling sucks at.
You heard me right. You need to milk something that you’re downright amazing at. However, if your sibling has even the slightest bit of talent in this field, you need to find a new one. For instance, let’s say you’re hands down the best juggler in the state. If your sibling can pick up the balls and juggle them for even three seconds, it’s time to pick up a new skill. For me, I stood out with writing. My brother knows how to somewhat put sentences together, but by no means can he write a decent paper that is longer than two pages in one night like I can. So, find your niche, and make sure your sibling doesn’t.
Work with your sibling, not against them.
This may be hard sometimes, but it’s necessary. When my brother and I started actually hanging out and talking to each other rather than beating each other up and screaming at one another, things started to get better for me. Before I knew it, we were best friends. He started helping me with addressing my feelings of being the lesser-than sibling. Of course, he denied that it was even true, but he never put me down for feeling that way. Another plus of doing this, the fact that we had even become close on my terms really showed a lot to my parents. If you’re having trouble starting this bond, find just one thing you have in common. Literally, just one. Do you both love a certain food? Do you enjoy the same musical artists? Don’t say that this is impossible, you both are breathing and that’s something you have in common at the very least.
All in all, you love your siblings. Even when they’re the favorite and don’t understand the underlying pressure you feel to always work harder and get on their level. Don’t low blow, don’t find one of their deepest, darkest secrets and share it with your parents in hopes that you take the crown for “favorite child.” This is a team effort, not a one man band. If you’re still feeling down after reading this article, I don’t know, join a support group or something. There is one on Facebook called, “I am the least favorite child in my family.” It only has three members, but hey, we all have to start somewhere.
The College World 