I’m trying to help raise my two little sisters while my mom spends around half her time at work. Valerie is 11, and Vianey is nine. I hadn’t realized how absent my parents need to be to provide until consistently hearing my sisters ask, “When are they getting back from work?” Then when they get back, they’re in real need of a nap, and my sisters need to wait to bond with them. This set up is pretty common, and a lot more kids don’t have anyone.
So, I’m thankful to be able to help take my sisters to school, pick them up after, feed them, help them with their homework, sign permission slips, tell them to shower, get them to sleep on time, take care of them when they’re sick, and so on.
I try to set a good example. Read. Be nice to others. Appreciate mom and dad. Drink more water. Participate in school activities.
My sisters and I have also had conversations about self-love and how they’re way too young for boys. I don’t like how their friends are acting, and I don’t know how to stop them from following along. I look through their phones from time to time because the world is scary. Yet, I’m afraid of how I’m disciplining because what if one day I realize I said or done something wrong. I guess only time will tell.
As of now, I keep encouraging Valerie to go out for sports if she wants to. She keeps saying the fee is too much, and I need to tell her not to worry about that. Vianey actually likes math! I’m a writer, so you can guess how I feel about it.
Originally published in St. James Plaindealer on October 24th, 2019.
Arely Anaya 