Quote:
Originally Posted by YorkeDaddy
Anyway when I was 15 my parents had another kid so I've pretty much gone through all those early stages with them and have spent tons and tons of time watching him while my parents were at work and whatnot, and hanging out with a little kid is an absolute blast (assuming he likes you a lot that is). I'm very, very excited to have some of my own but I'll be holding off on that for at least another 5 years or so
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My experience was similar. I have a sister three years younger than me, and three other siblings 9, 9.5*, and 11 years younger than me, so I was on babysitting duty forever. My parents would leave for weeks at a time when I was in high school and I was the only appointed caretaker. Sucked a lot at the time because I never really had my own childhood, but I learned to be selfless and unconditionally responsible.
I was the figure of authority to those kids but my feelings toward them were very maternal. I made them dinner, I helped with homework, I walked them to school. They slept in my bed with me when they were scared or lonely. I was proud of them, and we were an extremely close unit. No one really missed having our parents around, because when they were home the environment was toxic.
I moved out when I was 16, and shortly after my parents took the kids and moved to another town, 80 miles away. I was ultimately disowned and kept from my siblings. I couldn't call to talk to them, they weren't allowed to visit. In 2008 I moved to California and that was that.
I think this is where any hesitation to have children stems from for me. Those were my kids, and I'm still mourning losing them.
*Just to be clear, the three youngest are all half-siblings. My "real" parents split when I was young, and my mom was pregnant at the same time as my stepmom. My mom moved back to California after the baby was born, the kids I took care of were my whole sister, and two half-siblings.