This topic is adapted from the FLEXTALK YouTube channel.

Everyone’s heard how the youngest child is spoiled, rotten, and manipulative. They’re “mama’s boys” or “mama’s girls.” There’s actually some truth to this stereotype, but there are hard parts about being the youngest kid, too.

Benefits

A lot of times the youngest really can be spoiled with gifts and extra attention, but there’s more to it than that. Having one or more older siblings as role models and people to stick up for you is great, too. It can also mean that your parents have learned the ins and outs of raising kids, so by the time they get to you, they’ve improved a lot at parenting, which makes your life as the youngest child all the better.

Disadvantages

Being the youngest isn’t always a walk in the park, though. A lot of times your parents and other family members might be tempted to compare you to your older siblings, wondering why you aren’t as good in school as they were when they were your age, why you don’t listen as well at home, or why you don’t excel on the athletic field like they did. The comparison game can really stink sometimes. If you’re the youngest, the bar can sometimes be set a little too high.

Advice

Here’s some advice if you’re the youngest of all your siblings.

First, seek out your older siblings for help. Even if you fight and bicker with them or don’t get along all the time, at the end of the day you’re family and you love each other. Your older siblings can give you advice and insight that your parents might not even have because they are so much closer to you in age. Your siblings know what it’s like to grow up in today’s world.

Sometimes people will call you the baby of the family, which might be true but can also get annoying at times. Let it roll off your shoulders. As you get older, you’ll develop your own unique identity and people will recognize you for more than being the youngest.

Being the youngest has some great advantages and disadvantages. Turn to your older siblings for advice, and be grateful that you weren’t the “test baby” like your older brothers or sisters. And don’t forget to eat up all those extra gifts and extra attention you sometimes get as the baby of the family!

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Discussion Questions:

  1. Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
  2. What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
  3. If you have siblings, what is your relationship with them like? Why?
  4. If you have siblings, where are you in the lineup? How has the experience been so far? Explain.
  5. Have you ever wished you were an only child, or that you were older or younger in the lineup with your siblings? Explain?
  6. In what ways do you “complete” your family? Explain.
  7. Write a personal action step based on this conversation.