Dear Readers,

I have received many questions about little sisters and how they annoy you by acting the way they do. Some of these questions have been repeated, so I have chosen the ones that have been asked most frequently. I hope my tips and advice will help you with your little sisters, and perhaps give you a new perspective in your role as a big sister. Additionally, I hope to help your relationship with your precious sisters. I myself have a little sister, and I know how difficult she is to handle. Sometimes I just want her to leave me alone. On the other hand, when I leave her, I miss her more than anything else. Therefore, let me stress my main piece of advice. The relationship you build with your sister will be one of the most important relationships in your life. My little sister is twelve years younger than me, and she looks up to me as her role model. I do not always see why she does some of the irritating things she does to annoy me, but my job is to teach her by example of my own actions. Even though she may annoy me often, I still would not be able to imagine my life without her. Sisters, please remember this the next time you get annoyed.

-Haylee
Q: Dear Haylee,

I just found out that my mother is going to have another baby, and it is a girl. I am in seventh grade, and I already have a younger brother, who might I add annoys me already. I cannot believe this is happening once again. Will my little sister be as annoying as my brother? Will it be worse? I have no idea how to act--should I be happy? Or upset? I have so many questions and thoughts going through my mind right now. I cannot even think straight. What do I do?

-Very Upset in Maine
Dear Very Upset in Maine,

First off, congratulations! Having a little sister will change your life completely. I can relate to your questions since I had a similar situation. It is not easy adjusting to a different family dynamic. When my mom was pregnant with my sister, I really wanted it to be a boy just because then I would not have to share old things with her when she got older. It is totally normal to be upset and not excited about your mom having another baby. I was the same way, but as time goes on and gets closer to the date she is due, you will get really excited. Everything happens for a reason. Your relationship with your little sister will be a totally different relationship than with your little brother. You could be best friends as you get older; you never know. My little sister is four and I am sixteen, and I too was a seventh grader when she was born. I did not think I would appreciate having a little sister, but as she has gotten older, she is the person who cheers me up. Whenever I leave town or just hang out with friends, she cries. I also find that I miss her more than anyone. You will understand how this feels as time goes on.

-Haylee
Dear Haylee,
My little sister always gets into my stuff or bugs me to give her something from my room. Why does she always do this? She is only three and does not need any of my stuff. What do I do to get her to leave me alone? Please help me!

-Frustrated in Phoenix
Dear Frustrated in Phoenix,
I know how you feel. My little sister does this all the time, and it gets very annoying. I wish I could say there is a guaranteed way to get her to leave you alone, but the truth is there is not. She looks up to you and wants to be just like you, so sometimes that means she will get into your things and take items from your room. I think the best thing to do is give her something she knows you love, or something she always tries to take. Within a few days or weeks, she will forget about it, but she will appreciate you letting her use it. Also, if it happens again, do not freak out because then she will know it really bothers you. This will motivate her to keep going into your room and stealing your things. I hope this helps you with your relationship with your little sister. Please remember she looks up to you.
-Haylee
Dear Haylee,
My little sister is four and I am fourteen. I love my little sister, but sometimes she just wants to hang out with my friends and me while they are over. She never leaves us alone, and sometimes she likes to pretend she knows what we are talking about. Please give me some advice for privacy!
-Annoyed in Anaheim
Dear Annoyed in Anaheim,
My little sister is four as well, and I always have this problem with her too. She butts in and acts like she runs the show, or acts like your friends are her best friends as well. Everyone buys into her little act she puts on, and it is really annoying. I get so tired of people saying, “Oh, she is so cute.” Yes, I have definitely been through this. In fact, I still go through it. There really is no way to get her to stop; however, you can control how you respond to her invasion of your privacy. She will bug you and your friends no matter what you say or do. It is just how she is. Sometimes I have my mom distract her or have her go play with her toys or something, but sometimes she just ends up hanging out with my friends as well. You can always hang out somewhere else as well. With a little sister, it may work better for you to hang out at your friends’ houses.

-Haylee