By Mia Hanuska
As the youngest child, my experience growing up was definitely different from my two older siblings, in both good and bad ways. Firstly, I was graced with the wonders of ~hand-me-downs~ which while many consider a bad thing, I am deeply grateful for. Since my sister, alum Anna Hanuska, and I are a similar size—and my brother, senior Luke Hanuska, has a great selection of shirts, when I need a piece for an outfit I can easily steal borrow something to top off the ‘fit. Not only that, but when my siblings decide to clean out their rooms, I get a new wardrobe, decor pieces, and stationery.
Additionally, as the youngest, I was granted more freedom than my siblings, both online and offline. While my sister had our parents monitoring her time on YouTube, I’ve had very limited control on my access to the internet, which is teaching me how to manage screen time and procrastinate less. Offline, I simply tell my parents where I’m going and who I’m hanging out with, and very rarely am I stopped.
However, being the youngest does come with challenges. Often, I find both myself and others comparing me to my siblings. I automatically push myself to earn the same achievements they received, feeling like I need to be as skilled as them. It can be hard to determine where my actual interests lie versus what I feel I need to do to live up to the very large shoes my brother and sister left.
Finally, on a positive note, when someone makes fun of me or hurts my feelings, my siblings are there to talk it out or take my mind off of the day, with their personal experiences and amazing jokes. Ultimately, older siblings are a gift that just keep giving.
