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Hello,
Thank you for writing to me. It sounds like youre excited to be an auntie, but are also upset by your sisters behaviour.
I can hear that you want to make the most of your time with your sister when shes at home because she spends a lot of time at university. From what you have said, youre aware her moods may be partly down to her pregnancy but you can't understand why she behaves differently to you than she does to your mum. I can hear that some of the things she sometimes says to you can hurt your feelings.
Its great that youve been able to talk to your mum and dad about how all of this is making you feel. Your feelings are very important and you deserve to be supported. I imagine its frustrating to feel like talking about things hasnt changed your sisters moodiness.
Maybe you could try suggesting to your sister that you spend time with one another. You could offer to do something helpful, like shopping for baby items. Or you could suggest doing fun things that you may have done together in the past. Having time alone with your sister may also give you the opportunity to talk to each other about how you both feel.
Unfortunately, sometimes its just not possible to change other peoples behaviour, no matter how upsetting we find it. It might be that your sister has just got too much on her mind at the moment, and really needs some extra support from your mum. Expecting a baby can be a exciting time, but sometimes it can be scary and stressful too. That doesnt make it ok for your sister to be moody with you, but it might help you understand why she is being that way at the moment.
Feeling lonely and excluded from the time your sister and mum spend together seems to be having a big impact on you. It can be normal to feel lonely and lots of people can experience this from time to time. You might want to have a look at the loneliness page in Explore for more information about this feeling. Maybe you could try talking to your parents about starting a new hobby, or joining a club or class, or arranging to see more of your friends outside school time.
If you would like to talk more about your feelings you may like to consider speaking with one of the counsellors at ChildLine. You can get in touch by calling 0800 1111. Its a free call and wont show up on your bill.
Take care,
Sam.
You can talk privately to a counsellor online or call 0800 1111 for free.
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