Baby Brother, Baby Sister

Being the youngest sibling in a family, one can never escape the title of “my baby.” It’s a challenge to get rid of for both the baby and the family.

It takes time for both the youngest to accept it and the family to accept the baby is grown. Embarrassing stories of the past, the “naked-butt” infant photos, and the first time of asking mommy and daddy where babies come from is a part of one’s life history. Unfortunately, there comes a time to say goodbye to that precious baby boy and sweet little girl…because now we are grown folk.

When you’re the youngest in a household, some think that the perks of being the “baby” would be being spoiled by your parents, never getting in trouble and doing whatever you please without worrying about the consequences. Though some of this was true in my case, most of these things backfired on me later down the line. Being the youngest, I would get in trouble because I “didn’t know better”, being spoiled lead me to the mentality of being selfish and wanting everything for myself and not being able to do anything without careful surveillance or criticism. Safe to say, being the youngest isn’t always a fun thing. As a child, instead of doing kid stuff all the time, such as waking up to weekend cartoons or playing with my friends, I was expected to help do chores and handle my responsibilities. I scorned this idea for a long time, but now I’m glad that I got to learn these important skills in life especially at a young age.

The most crucial thing that affected me being young was my ability to be outside and learn how to get around by myself. I always had to stay close or be restrained to the “yard”. I now realize that it was out of protection that I was confined to these boundaries, but it really messed me up when it came to traveling or needing to handle situations by on your own. As the “baby,” you never get to explore your independence fully because there is always somebody doing something for you;”babying” you. In the present, when we, as the youngest sibling finally get to move on, we are properly prepared to handle the “adult” world. Well I’m here to say that I’m not trying to be the baby anymore. It’s time these grown-ups grow up, take the pacifier out their mouths and see us as the young adults we are.

I often wondered how Janet Jackson could deal with the constant reference of the kid sister or baby sister, despite her success and talent as a grown woman. However, one of the best tasks I’ve gain because of my nuclear familial status is observation. I was accused of having a major staring problem as a child, but I was trying to figure out how to think of interpreting the world. Without reading, my tactics involved heavy analyzing of pictures and objects in order to get around in life. I know I can always depend on my siblings for anything and everything; but I also know that one day, I would be on my own, without them. I had to observe what was done, left incomplete, what opportunities weren’t taken, and constantly be reminded that an alternate route doesn’t necessarily end the journey. Being warned of mistakes doesn’t mean that I won’t make my own original mistakes; things happen. How it is handled shows true maturity.

There was a time in which I was sweet, nice, and gentle little girl. I had no problem giving and helping. It becomes a problem when these characteristics are expected to be displayed on a daily basis. The irony is that the ones who teach you to stand up for yourself and not let others neither condescend nor take advantage of you turn into foes when you use their own advice against them. This introduces the feud of respect among one another. It just cracks me up because big brother and sister are too busy enforcing that that baby sister and brother must respect them when they can’t even respect that their little siblings are almost old enough to drink [alcohol]. With regards to constant bullying, respect is not given; it’s earned [Michael Jackson].

When the time came for baby girl to demand respect, she was belittled as either acting silly or nonsensical. The approach may have been confusing and ignorant, but the message is still the same. Challenging my older siblings can help me assert myself as a grown woman, while helping them realize that I’ve learned how to be cruel to be kind.

As the baby brother (V-Jay) and the baby sister (Reggy), all we ask for is some respect. We respect the fact that we’re young, but we are becoming adults day by day. So the next time you call us the baby, remember when you were young, BABY! Peace & Love.

By Regina Rivers(Staff Writer) and V-Jay John (President)
Fahari-Libertad Family Portrait Issue