Helping a sibling through a tough life stage
Being a sibling means a lot of things. You are always there when they are crying, are hurt, or are laughing. You are a support beam that never breaks. It can be hard especially when the sibling you love is having a really hard time and things aren't getting better. Let's look at some ways that you can help your sibling through a tough life stage.
When you are the older sibling, you usually have gone through things first. When a younger sibling enters the teenage years, things can be really hard and confusing. When you are the younger sibling, you see what your older is going through and it can also be really confusing. You see someone that you admire doing things and arguing. You may not see them as you once did, but you can still be there and love them throughout the hard times.
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Love your sibling. Love between family is very strong. You want the best for your sibling and want them to be happy. The best thing to do is just to be there and support them. Let them know that you love them and really care.
If you are the older sibling, try talking to them and giving some advice. They may not take it, or even listen, but try anyways. Don't talk in a bossy tone, but sit them down, maybe while eating ice cream on your bed, and just talk. Tell them about how you got through being a teenager or how you still are. Older siblings may not always have a ton of advice especially if they are still going through the hard time themselves, but they do have some. They start to see what they did and what their younger sibling is doing. They see that they should do things a different way because they see the impact of something that the younger sibling did. Tell them. Let them know that you love them and that you are only telling them this because you love them.
If you are the younger sibling, really listen to them. If they are saying that no one loves them or they are feeling down, then boost them up. Tell them that you love them so much and really look up to them. Tell them things that you admire about them. Ask to do things with them. Go to a movie together, play a game, go to the mall, and just have fun. You don't have to spend hours together, but really be there for them. Let them know that just because you are younger doesn't mean that you don't have a shoulder to cry on or that you are a bad listener. Listen to what they say and help them. Often a younger person has insight that older people forget as they get older.
As siblings you can't always tell them what to do. They don't often listen, but you can still help. Let them know that you love them and that they are a great example to you. Even if it's a younger sibling that is hurting. Older siblings often admire younger ones for things like, beauty, athleticism, and being smart. Let them know how you feel and that you really do admire them. It will help to boost them up and not feel so down when they are going through a hard time in their life.
