Being Second Is Best

Being Second Is Best

I am a second child. I have an older sister and two younger brothers. I loved being the second child and I definitely think being second is best.

My sister had to pave the way, she wasn't allowed to do as much as me. She had to fight to go out as a teenager and be home by 9pm (yes 9pm). I still had to fight but I was allowed out younger and later. My sister was very sensible and well behaved, I was a bit of a rebel (say no more) and yet I had more freedom, all down to her.

When I wasn't allowed to go somewhere because I was too young, Hyde Park for the free concerts for example, I would drag my sister along. "Please" I would beg "come to Hyde Park". She had never heard of the bands but she indulged me sometimes. Not enough to take me to see The Rolling Stones though!

I also used her as my "chaperone". (Shhh don't tell anyone). I would persuade her to cover for me. We would go out together and arrange a place and time to meet up, and come home together. That added a good hour onto my curfew time.

A lot is said about having hand me down clothes but mostly I loved it. My mother would make two dresses the same, one for each of us. Now if I loved it I knew I would have my sisters when she outgrew hers. So my favourite dress would last twice as long. The down side was that occasionally we had horrible dresses and I knew that even after I had worn mine out there was another waiting. My sister would only have to wear hers until it fit me.

When we were older I should have been able to steal my sisters clothes. How cool would that have been? But sadly no. My sister had a ridiculously small waist, about 20 inches. I was three years younger and mine was 28 inches. I did have bigger boobs though so all was not lost, well it was, it meant that I couldn't borrow anything, not skirts and not tops. Only one dress fit me and I asked to wear it all the time. A beautiful Embroidery Anglaise mini dress. My sister usually said no, even though she never wore it, but I would plead, and beg and then bribe. I loved that dress.

I had younger brothers, my first brother obviously never had hand me downs, and I do not remember my youngest brother having any either. Maybe that's because trousers just didn't last as long as dresses?

I do not know what it would be like to be born third, fourth or later. Maybe there are perks I know nothing of. My grandmother was the seventh child of a seventh child, she had "the vision". It was said she could see into the future....

Are you a second child? Wherever you come, first, second or later, what is the best, (or worse) thing about it?

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