Most people, when raising a 16 and 17 year old, have had 16 and 17 years to work up to it. They have years of shared experiences and a clear understanding of the power dynamic. I was thrown in head-first to make it work. That being said my sister is, thankfully, not the kind of teenager that causes a lot of problems or gets into trouble.
However, the teenage years come with inherent drama, and we had our share of growing pains. These were both on her behalf and mine. I've lived alone for nine years, so I've had to learn a lot about compromise and how to share my space again. I've had to learn how to pick my battles (the girl will NEVER eat an onion) and when to let it all go.
Where do I draw the line? I'm a caretaker, responsible for her welfare (EEK!) but I'm also a big sister. I had a lot of trouble, for several months, figuring out when I could be the big sister instead of the "one in charge," because those are two very different hats. But we've worked it out. It's all about trial and error, and a whole lot of compromise.
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