Rizel Serrano

Essay Proposal

The Role of Older Siblings

The dynamic between an older sibling and their younger siblings is a relationship worth being investigated. As a self-declared oldest sibling, I believe that my influence on my younger siblings is greater than what they let on to be. I grew up with an older brother who is nine years older than I am, which means that the age gap between him and my younger siblings is more than 10 years. My older brother left for college when I was eight years old meaning that I took over the role of the eldest sibling for the majority of my life. I know that the dynamic I have with my younger siblings is different from the dynamic of other families or that the dynamic of my siblings with my older brother is also different for that matter which is why this is a topic I would like to explore further.

I believe that whether one likes it or not, an older sibling has a great amount of influence over their younger siblings. Because of the strong influence older siblings have, they have the power to impact the lives of their younger brothers and sisters in a negative or positive way. I found an article stating that if the older sibling is into drugs, gang-related activity, or teen pregnancy, the younger sibling has a high chance to follow in their footsteps. The reverse is also true. The more positive habits an older sibling takes on can push their younger siblings to follow in their footsteps. More often than not, the older sibling is a role model and creates a standard for their younger siblings. Because of this, comparisons among siblings is a common scenario in families today. The lives older siblings live implement what standards are considered to be normal in a family in regard to the lives of their younger siblings. 

In some instances, it is normal for older siblings to raise their younger siblings as if they were their own children. Many times when a parent is absent, the older sibling has to step up and take on the role of the missing parent. Especially during covid time, because schools were closed, many older siblings have had to take care of their younger counterparts while their parents went to work. There is a news article about 15-year-old Jaliyah who has to take care of her three-year-old sister Jayda while her mother went to work. Their mother is distressed about their situation, but she can not think of another solution because somebody has to provide for their family. Unfortunately, this is the reality of many low-income families today. I would like to delve more into the historical context of this point and see whether this has been the case in the past. 

Being an older sibling can be a blessing and a curse. I consider it a privilege to be an older sibling, but not all older siblings share the same thought. I have been blessed with two parents who did their role of parenting while I took on smaller responsibilities such as picking up my siblings from school or taking them to soccer practice. I did not have to raise my siblings. I can’t imagine how other older siblings have had to be full-time students and take care of their younger siblings at the same time. My research aims to dive into the impact older siblings have on their younger siblings and how their role has changed over the years.