Older sibling at 18

Aki Tendo

I'm writing a story in which the main character learns her mother is pregnant - she's going to be an older sibling at 18. I was 8 when my younger sibling was born, and to a kid that was all a big adventure - so I'm not entirely sure I can relate to how I might have felt if that occurred when I was an adult. Anyone here have this happen to them?

JonnyPistachio

interesting concept. My best friend growing up had three sisters 12, 10, and 9 years older than us. It was like another set of 3 mothers in the mix. quite funny. I remember seeing all three of them in the bathroom getting ready to go out (in their early 20's), doing their poofy 80's hair and make-up and it was the most chaotic thing i had ever seen.

Aki Tendo

Interesting and fun to be sure. But I was sort of looking for the elder siblings perspective. I suppose I could talk to one of my aunts. Her mother not only had a child when she was 20, but had the child the day before she had her first son.

Dead Man Walking

It would be even weirder if the mom had a baby and then the 18 year old had a baby afterwards...the aunt would be younger than the niece...


....who's mind did I just blow?

EdsonNascimento

Dead Man Walking wrote:

It would be even weirder if the mom had a baby and then the 18 year old had a baby afterwards...the aunt would be younger than the niece...


....who's mind did I just blow?

Yours because the births would have to be the other way around.... The 18 year old would have to have a child before the mother for the aunt to be younger. :oops:

iamica

I don't have personal experience with this, but in my extended family there's a lot of that...my uncle was an uncle when he was born (his oldest nephew is a few months older than him). My dad's oldest brother was 17 when he was born; my dad says they were like strangers, since his brother was pretty much moved out by the time my dad was in kindergarten.
Also, I have a cousin who was 14 when her younger brother was born. They have both said that they felt like they were an only child, since they were the only kid in the house for most of the time they were growing up.

cincybearcat

Aki Tendo wrote:

I'm writing a story in which the main character learns her mother is pregnant - she's going to be an older sibling at 18. I was 8 when my younger sibling was born, and to a kid that was all a big adventure - so I'm not entirely sure I can relate to how I might have felt if that occurred when I was an adult. Anyone here have this happen to them?

Just a curious question, what made you want to write a story about something that you do not relate to? I would think that would be tough.

Good Luck!

Hugh Freaking Dillon

Dead Man Walking wrote:

It would be even weirder if the mom had a baby and then the 18 year old had a baby afterwards...the aunt would be younger than the niece...


....who's mind did I just blow?

my sister in-law is older than a few of her aunts.

conman

EdsonNascimento wrote:

Dead Man Walking wrote:

It would be even weirder if the mom had a baby and then the 18 year old had a baby afterwards...the aunt would be younger than the niece...


....who's mind did I just blow?

Yours because the births would have to be the other way around.... The 18 year old would have to have a child before the mother for the aunt to be younger. :oops:

my roommate has a niece who is a year older than him

Aki Tendo

cincybearcat wrote:

Just a curious question, what made you want to write a story about something that you do not relate to? I would think that would be tough.

Good Luck!

I can relate to the characters as a group and to the story as a whole. Most of my characters are pieces of myself mixed with observations I've seen in others. This particular event grew out of the telling of the rest of the story. You just have to find a way.

Most major characters of the stories I write are women. I'm not a woman ( Aki is a unisex Japanese name like Erin or Sam ). Villains I've written do some pretty terrible things I'd never dream of doing. Relating to them means concentrating on the common human experience.

I do talk to people and ask what these things are like. In the end I have to use some imagination though.

Loulou

I was 14 when my brother was born and I was about 24 when my little sister was born. To make things even more different, now I have my little one her aunty (my little sister) is 5 years old. I can only tell you how I felt personally. I thought it was lovely but very strange to see your parents with a baby, especially when you were the youngest for a long time. It's interesting to see the changes they make in their parenting, what they have learnt not to do, having more patience and actually having money to spoil your siblings is good too.

I guess the only downside is that I feel sorry for both my bro and sis in the way that they get lonely. Its almost like they are only children because my older brother and I are so much older and don't live with them.
Hope that helps you out a bit, sorry for rambling.