Hey Woodski,
My sister is a soccer player and we are ALWAYS going to her practices and games. It’s starting to bother me that she gets all the attention and I get none. I love her and all but it’s making me feel bad. What can I do?
Supportive Sis, age 13 (female)
Dear Supportive Sis,
That must be very frustrating. Sibling relationships can be wonderful and hard. It’s normal to have mixed feelings when someone’s getting more attention than you.
It sounds like you might be ready to talk about it. Could you say something to your sister so she might acknowledge how you feel? Approach her with love, but remember that you matter. No one should downplay your feelings. She’s probably not going to change her soccer schedule for you, but she could find ways to make you feel special also.
Consider also mentioning it to your parents. They might be so busy managing everyone’s schedule that they’ve forgotten to devote special time just for you. Everyone makes mistakes. They deserve to know how you feel also and given the opportunity to make adjustments.
In both cases, it might take some time and reminders. Eventually, after you find what YOU want to invest your time into, you can “call in” your debts from your family for being a team player with your sister!