My two younger grandsons were visiting us a few years ago. They were 12 and 13 years old, and no surprise, got into a few squabbles. After quite a bit of this, I had them sit down and write what being a good big or little brother ought to mean. You can see echoes of my pronouncements in both documents…..but there are a few original touches as well.
The almost-fourteen-year old wrote this - April 13, 2009
What being a big brother means to me.
Being a big brother means that you need to be a role model for your little brother, and you need to set a good example for him to follow. For example, if you start swearing in front of your brother or if you do things that are not nice in front of your brother and he sees or hears you doing these things, he will likely start doing them. In order to be a good role model, you must conduct yourself in a polite manner so he can have polite manners.
Being a big brother means that you need to stick up for your brother when he is getting picked on by other people. That shows that you will do anything for him and people will know not to mess with him. In addition, if you are ever in a situation like that, then he will do the same for you.
Also, in order to be a great big brother, you must be willing to be nice to your brother. One of the reasons we don’t have world peace in the world is because even brothers fight. If brothers fight, then they will eventually grow apart. How can we expect whole countries to get along if people in the same family aren’t even willing or able to get along?
You need to be nice to your brother so that if you need to depend on him later in your life, you can. Also, if you fight with your brother, then it hurts your parents and so you are hurting your parents too. If you follow these rules, then you will not only be a great brother, but will also be a good son.
The twelve-year-old wrote this – April 13, 2009
What being a little brother means to me.
Being a little brother means to me being nice to my brother, respecting my brother and loving my brother 24-7
First I will be a good little brother by being nice to my brother. I will do this by congratulating my brother when he does a good job at something. Also I will do unexpected things like when he is still at school or something, I will make his bed or clean his room and do nice things unexpectedly, and lastly I will be nice by making “please leave me alone” coupons so when he gives me one I will leave him alone for one hour.
Second I will be a good little brother by respecting my older brother. I can do this by not laughing at him when he does something wrong or embarrassing, but I can tell him he will do better next time or standing up for him when he gets embarrassed. Also I can respect him by using manners around him and not farting when I am in his room. Lastly, I can respect my brother by respecting his privacy and not going in his room when the door is closed.
Most important of all, I can be a good brother by loving him. I can do this by telling him so, I can show him I love him by giving him a hug when he is sad, and I can show him I love him by not teasing him, which could go for all three of my strategies to be a better little brother.
In conclusion, being a little brother means being nice to your older brother, respecting your older brother, and loving your older brother. If you don’t follow these rules, then you will not only hurt your brother’s feelings but your parents’ feelings too.