“Being a positive influence is not a responsibility but it is a choice,” as voiced by Rachael Warren. I believe that it is important to be a role model for your younger siblings. They look up to you, we grant them with the right advice and we grow up together.

To begin with, younger siblings look up to us older siblings. We want to be a positive influence for them to look up to. If a younger sibling sees that her older teenage sister is pregnant, it can cause for the younger siblings to start sexual activity at an early age and even contemplate pregnancy. On a study of Latino younger siblings, 121 out of 243 of them grow up with a pregnant sister. This goes to show that they look up to us and want to be just like us. So, being pregnant at a young age, they will most likely want to complete the same actions. Another reason would include, in a study it conducted that older siblings that drink and smoke, the younger siblings are 3-5 times likely to complete the same drinking and smoking action. This is just more evidence to show that we as older siblings need to be a positive influence on their lives because it could lead them or even ourselves into addiction or harm. In conclusion, if you are being rude to a friend or yelling at a family member, that is not a positive influence for the younger siblings. But, there are times where we as teens can not handle our emotions anymore and just let go. Although it is important to understand that we have little kids watching our every action and our most probable to complete the same measure. In spite of younger siblings looking up to us, we also give them the advice they need.

Furthermore, as older siblings we have the special privilege of giving advice to our younger siblings. As stated by The Odyssey Online, “Be there for them in their middle school years and dealing with drama during the teen years.” This just goes to show that we learned from our mistakes and our lives in middle school to hopefully better help and guide our siblings in their teen years. Another piece of evidence would include that, receiving advice from your older siblings could help you get through a tough time in your teenage years. It is very important to be there for your younger siblings, As we would want our older siblings to be there for us. Receiving advice is beneficial especially since it is coming from one of your siblings. Thirdly, as expressed by Rachael Warren, “Parents are there to guide them in the right directions of life.” Parents also can grant them advice. But, we as siblings are there to provide them with the information they need, that parents may not be able to provide them. Parents are a big influence in little kids' lives, we as the older siblings have different advice and help to give them. Regardless of the advice we give them, we are still growing up together.

In closing, you grow up with your younger siblings, so it is important that you be the best role model for them. As expressed by The Odyssey Online, “When you are older and your younger siblings are older, you will have a great relationship with them, as I do with my siblings now.” This illustrates that no matter the relationship you have with your younger siblings in your childhood, does not mean you will not have a good relationship with them further on in life. Also stated by Shawn D. Whiteman and Abigail Christiansen, “Siblings spend more time together than they do with their friends and parents.” From this piece of evidence I can agree, especially back when I was younger I was with my sister more than the friends and parents. This is just another reason proving why we need to be a role model for our younger siblings because we are with them most of the time. Finally, siblings who are opposites genders of each other have a different relationship then the same gender siblings. This does not mean you still can not be a role model to them, you will just have a different relationship with them. Growing up with your siblings can be a challenging but fun time. Yet, we as older siblings still have to get a great example.

As older siblings we need to set a great example for our younger siblings. We grow up together, we teach them the things they need to know and we are the people they look up too. Thinking about how if you had an older sibling impacted your life you shall do the same for your younger siblings if you have them. Treat others the way you want to be treated.