Siblings Irking One Another

on purpose

I find it fascinating that my oldest daughter can’t imagine why her little brother would want to bug her. It makes no sense to her. It’s not in her scope of reasoning. Although, truth be told, her scope of reasoning has room for expansion.

Why on earth would her little brother take her shoes out of the shoe basket, fling them at her feet, and declare, “Your shoes are muddy. You need to clean them,” when in fact, the shoes have only traces of dirt on them?

I think it bugs her because he is acting like a parent when he’s not. How dare he! Little brothers should never assume authority over big sisters. That goes against the unwritten rules of sibling conduct. She may parent and instruct him, but the reverse is unforgivable.

I don’t understand how this adds up in her mind either, but her strong suit is English, not Math.

I’m pretty sure Little Brother does these sorts of things to get a rise out of his sister. It’s rather like setting off a firework—somewhat dangerous with startling results. After all, he has nothing to lose. More often than not, if Big Sister overreacts, all he has to do is make a big fuss and Mom and Dad protect him from any serious harm. What a delightful game for a five-year-old! There’s probably a bit of attention-seeking in there too.