How to Drive Your Sister Crazy, and Your Brother Bananas
If you are blessed to have siblings, you know there's never a dull moment when you are growing up. If you are really blessed to have siblings, you will share a room with one or more of them. Not only was I blessed enough to have siblings, but I was fortunate enough to share a room with my brother until I was fifteen.
There are unique challenges to living with other humans. These challenges, should you survive, will prepare you for the outside world. I have two siblings. We barely survived living together during our time under the same roof. The three of us have physical and emotional scars from our time together, but we also have some stories to tell. These stories are going to be great once the statute of limitations runs out on them.
Living with siblings also prepares you for raising children. You learn mediation, conflict resolution, and an occasional hostage negotiation. My sister and I raise blended families. If you were part of one in any way, you know the challenges that come together with bringing new people into the mix. It can almost be like having new people move into the neighborhood. The difference is people don't go back to different houses at the end of the day. People are in the same home always.
Diane Shore and her Books
two books, "How to Drive your Sister Crazy" and "How to Drive your Brother Bananas". Both books are level 2 on the "I Can Read" book series.
Diane's books stem from her time as a parent raising a boy and a girl. Both children tested the patience of her and her husband, just as many children have done and will do to families before and after the Shore family. Diane's books offer tips on how to best agitate your older siblings. On one hand, the book does offer some creative ways to stay busy. Sometimes, especially during the beginning of summer vacation, it can be difficult finding ways to keep yourself occupied. On the other hand, if you are a child growing up with siblings, these books could help your sibling target YOU!
In my days as a stay-at-home parent, I have to say my biological children got along fairly well. There were no battles or territory disputes between The Oppressed and The Boy. Even as they got older, they typically stayed in different rooms reading or playing with screens. The Oppressed, now in high school, spends her time facetiming her friends upon returning from the mental anguish of Academia. The Boy is on his bike with the Fruit Loops or playing video games with them.
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| Diane Shore, the creator of Bradley Harris Pinkerton |
Bradley Drives his Siblings Crazy
I'm not saying it's always smooth sailing with my Miracles of Christ. Loyal readers of this blog understand there are plenty of situations and episodes that have tested my skills and patience. Parents are always facing situations where they need to keep the peace, especially when their children act like Bradley Harris Pinkerton. Bradley is the main character of these books and are narrated through his point of view. Bradley utilizes all of the usual things that boys and girls hate to drive the older siblings crazy. We all know plenty of girls who hate reptiles or have their particular hair care routine. There are boys who like to unwind from the day by watching television or connecting with friends to share their survival stories from the classes earlier that day. "How to Drive Your Sister Crazy" gives you everything you need to terrorize your sister. "How to Drive Your Brother Bananas" imparts skills for you to do the same to your brother.
Bradley's pranks are simple enough, and the instructions are thorough to make sure children can properly terrorize and traumatize the other children in the house. You might be thinking it could be a mistake to leave these books around your home, but if you read them with your child, you will know what is in the books and recognize the potential plans that could be hatched. This preparation can com in handy if any of your own little cherubim get any great ideas.
Getting Along with your Siblings
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| L to R: Bro, me, Sis |
Sometimes things can escalate between siblings. Unfortunately, that can be inevitable when it comes to sharing a house or a room with other children. Like my other Generation X compatriots, we didn't grown up with our own personal screen. There were limited amounts of televisions in our home, and we had only one gaming system and that wasn't a hand-held one, meaning a television was taken up. Technology-wise, it's a little easier. Our children will have better access to watching something or playing a game, but as all parents know, there is always a challenge waiting for us around the corner.
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| The Oppressed and The Boy. Two happy siblings. |
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