Abby Connolly
Being an older sibling can be quite stressful, especially when the age gap between you and your siblings is significant.
One teenager wanted to enjoy her final college before summer but ended up having to help take care of her younger sibling and put up with her moody mom.
She’s 16-years-old and is part of a growing family. She has a 14-year-old brother, Sam, who spent the entire summer with their dad. Her mom is married to her stepfather and had her almost two-year-old half-brother, Ben, in 2021. Now, her mom is eight months pregnant with her second half-sibling.
She wanted an opportunity to relax this summer, but because of her demanding mom and half-brother, she never got one.
“My stepfather works, so for most of the day, it is just me, my mom, and Ben,” she explained.
“I am with Ben in the morning for two hours. During this time, I feed him breakfast, change his diaper, and play with him. I also make my mom coffee and breakfast. My mom sleeps during this time. She wakes up around 9:30 a.m. and eats breakfast. Around 10:00 a.m., I walk my dog. When I get back, I put Ben to sleep. My mom plays on her PC during this time.”
On top of having to spend her summer mornings taking care of her baby brother, she also had a bunch of chores to do, she’d been taking two online courses, and also had to look after her dog, who happens to be sick.
Instead of thanking her for her hard work and help, her mom has continuously picked on her over the summer.
“I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy, but my mom has been extremely mean,” she said.
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