Siblings (n.) A combination of a best friend and a pain in the neck (‘teen definitions’, Pinterest).
To those of us who have siblings, we’ve all had moments where we love them endlessly, and others where we wonder how it’s possible that we’re even related to them. This can happen especially often with our little siblings. They’re the ones that we want to protect, but also yell at for their annoying existence. So it’s often hard to make decisions when it comes to our pesky little sibs. Here are a few scenarios that might help us clarify how we really feel about our little siblings:
Your little sister broke the TV by accident while playing. If your mother finds out then she won’t let her go to her very first sleepover that she’s been looking forward to for months. If you tell your mom that you broke the TV, she’d take away your phone for a month.
Would you rather:
- Lose your phone for a month? (40%)
- Or let your sister miss her first sleepover? (60%)
Casey-Ann, 16: “I would keep my phone. I do everything with my phone and she’ll have other sleepovers.”
Jason, 19: “I’d let her go to the sleepover since she’s been looking forward to it. I can just use my computer for the month.”
You have your best friend’s party to go to tonight – it’s the last chance you’ll get to see her/him before she migrates. But your baby brother has a big science project that he left for the last minute. It’s due tomorrow and he’s frantic because it’s worth 60% of his grade and he can’t finish it by himself in one night.
Would you rather:
- Go to your best friend’s going-away party? (10%)
- Or help your brother with his big project? (90%)
Lamar, 18: “He would have to do it himself since he left it to the last minute. I’ve been in the same situation and had to help myself out. Plus if he’s young then he’d probably be in basic or early primary school and grades don’t matter that much then.”
Chennae, 18: “I’ve gone through that before and I wish someone had helped me, so I’d help my brother. I can text my friend after she migrates. And 60% is a lot!”
Your little sister accidentally tripped and knocked your phone off the table, breaking it. Your family is poor and you know that your parents have been saving to get her a specialized calculator for her Mathematics exam next week. But your phone is the only way that you can do all your assignment. Your parents can only afford one thing.
Would you rather:
- Have the money used on your phone? (20%)
- Or have the money used on her calculator? (80%)
“If it was really an accident then I would have to let her have the calculator, it’s for her exam. I would have to do my assignments with a friend’s device or at school ‘til I could save for a new phone.” (Deandra, 17)
“I’d have to borrow a calculator and give to her or something since she’s the one who broke my phone. I can’t jeopardize my assignments.” (Rachel, 19)
