Hippychick has always been to me the epitome of a family business, both in the way that it provides products to support young families, and the more literal fact that it has run alongside everything we do at home for as long as I can remember. My siblings and I used to play hide and seek in the warehouse, we’ve all helped to package and unload endless cardboard boxes. In the house, early pictures of my brother and sister have them modelling various Hippychick Waterproofs and Wheelybugs (it appears I unfortunately wasn’t a suitable baby model), and the majority of dinner time discussions were understandably also focused on work.
It then seemed fairly natural to be asked to write a bit about family for Hippychick, particularly with regards to my brother and sister. I’m told it’s for National Sibling Day – admittedly not something I’ve particularly focused on before. A quick google search tells me it’s widely seen as an opportunity to ‘honour relationships with siblings’.
Whilst I could gushingly try to celebrate my siblings, both of whom have certainly have outshone me in many respects, I fear this would not be hugely interesting and even worse, risk inflating some already sizeable ego’s.
Instead, I’ve put together a more simple list of pros and cons that I’ve personally found in my time having siblings.
Pros:
- Garden sports partners (Special shout out to my younger sister who historically put in some good shifts in goal as I belted the ball at her)
- Reliable bet for someone to talk to at an awkward family party. I’d often give my brother a weak smile and sidle up to him at the beginning of any party where I wasn’t immediately comfortable
- Someone to grumble about Mum and Dad/general unfairness to. Misery loves company, and tales of also being woken up aggressively early on the weekend would resonate with my similarly dopey brother
- Occasionally a good source for new music or reading material. Less so now my brother has discovered thumping techno at university
Cons:
- Always being compared to each other (a major con if you’re not top of the roster)
- Irritating. Just generally, and normally when you’re in a bad mood they really twist the knife
- Lethal arguments when playing sports (I’ve had cricket bats, balls and stumps thrown at me, some fairly, others not)
- They constantly borrow/steal things. Two Jumpers, a phone charger, and an easter egg are on my current missing in action list
- Embarrassing. Both of mine normally relish the chance to make me look stupid, or bring up things I’ve said disturbingly out of context
Overall though, they definitely make life more interesting. As the eldest I’ve undoubtably ploughed an easier path for them to follow and whilst I often comment to my parents that I miss the simpler times as a trio, I’ll stick with them for now. I won’t be honouring them anytime soon, but Happy National Sibling Day nevertheless…
