Having groups of friends is always a fun time! And just like a boy band has a label for each member, friend groups aren't too far from the labels. You've got the responsible friend, the loud friend, the one with attitude, etc. And then you have the youngest one of the group. They are the baby in the friendship circle. Alas, everything is going great and hanging out with your closest friends couldn't be any better. That is until you realize that you ARE the baby of the group.
1. You totally feel like you're being annoying.
I am the youngest of five children in my family and as the youngest, I was automatically the super annoying little sister that always wants to follow and tag along with her siblings. Fast forward years later and the thought and feeling of being annoying is still there as the youngest of my friends. All the while, I find myself apologizing for things I say and do that I believe would annoy them. If I speak too loud, giggle too much, or feel like I'm talking a lot, then I prepare hundreds of apologies. Frankly, the apologies are probably more annoying than whatever else I am apologizing for.
2. You become aware of what you should or shouldn't say.
When you are the youngest, suddenly everything you say seems too immature to say. You begin to second guess everything you watch and every type of music you listen to just to simply to avoid being looked at as "too young."
Growing up, I was never really the youngest one in the friendship circle. Actually, I was almost always second to last, which allowed me a bit of leeway to escape the "baby" jokes. While I still managed to get teased by friends because of my obsessions with boy bands being childlike to them, it was never something I had to think about rather than freely express my fanatic side. Now that I've finally found my group of friends where I am unfortunately the youngest, I stop myself before I say something. And it seems I sometimes say a lot of childish things.
3. Saying your age is big mistake.
If there's anything I've learned while being in a group of older friends, it is that, when talking about something from the past, never say how old you were when it happened. Let's say you're talking about the release of a popular song. They'll say, "I remember when it came out! I was 15 and beginning high school." And then you'll accidentally ruin the moment by saying, "I was 11." Good going, you! Now you've either made them feel "too old" or you'll hear, "OMG, you're such a little baby!" Lord behold, if you hear the first one, it's an open window! The minute they say that they feel old you're given a chance to tease them with jokes you've been storing, hiding up your sleeve since the first baby joke. If it's the second one, however...well, congratulations! You've dug yourself into a hole. Why did you HAVE to say anything?!
4. "You're too young to know."
You're sitting together eating dinner at a restaurant casually chatting away. One person mentions something you didn't quite catch. You ask them to repeat themselves and they say, "you're too young to know what I'm talking about." It's a quick moment of deciding whether to laugh it off or to throw the fork you are holding at their face. If they do happen to repeat themselves and you know what they're talking about, definitely say what you know! While it may not erase the fact that they see you as a child, you won't necessarily get taunted during this moment.
5. And, if you're under 21, there's a lot you won't be doing.
It's finally that time of the week when the mass texts come in with what you guys might be doing Friday night. That is if your parents allow you to go (that's another topic to be discussed another time.) Will we be going to the movies to catch a hilarious flick? Will we all finally go to the restaurant we were talking about last week? Then, you read the text of doom! "We're going bar hopping! Sorry, you can't come." And there goes your fun Friday night away from home. Don't worry, your bed and Netflix are awaiting you!
At the end of the day, though, your friends are your friends and they accept you no matter what. Ultimately, all of your worries are unnecessary. For anyone who does not have older siblings or are older sibling, this is what it's like to be the little sibling. It's always fun, sometimes upsetting and you all make jokes to rile each other up, but it's all out of love. I guess us younger friends are going to have to accept the fact that we will always be the babies of the group. In the best way possible, of course!
