Send
Sibling Relationships 209
I understand. But if there’s something bothering you and you want to talk about it, you know
I’m always here for you.”
If she opens up to you, great! If she’s not ready to share her feelings, let her know that
whenever she’s ready to talk, you’re ready to listen. Remember, a sister is forever. I wish you
both well.
In friendship,
Terra
My brother has no respect
for my privacy
Hey Terra,
My younger brother is a complete pain. I’ve told him that I don’t like it when he annoys me,
but nothing stops him. He has no respect for my privacy or anything. He goes through my
stuff, borrows it, and messes it up. I feel like beating him up lots of times, but that’s not
allowed in our family, even though he tries to do it to me. Is there any help for this, or do
I have to wait until I’m eighteen and I move out of the house?
Bro
Dear Bro,
Your brother isn’t treating you with respect, and you have a right to be upset! You can be
proud of yourself for not using violence to communicate your anger to your brother. You don’t
say how old he is, and that makes a difference in your situation. You can’t reason with a two-
year-old, but an eight-year-old is a different story. And if he’s twelve or thirteen, well, I’d say
he’s overdue for a serious conversation with you.
The help for this problem is open communication. Tell your brother how you feel about
his behavior. You might say, “Look, when I leave my room, it’s important to me that I know
no one will mess with my stuff. When you take my stuff without asking and wreck it, I get
mad. Can you understand that?” Remember that when it’s your turn to talk, he needs to listen,
and when it’s his turn to talk, you need to listen. If you can help him see that he wouldn’t like