How to Survive, No Thrive, as the Non-Favorite Child

Are you always trying to be better than your more-favored sibling, only to fail and feel rejected and dejected? Have your parents not noticed your suffering, and only pay attention to your sibling whom they shower with love and affection? Well, that is my situation and I have learned these six tips to not let it bother me. It takes awhile to get the hang of it, but once you do, you will feel a lot better about yourself.

Only compete with yourself. Instead of trying to beat your 'competition,' do your own thing. You will succeed if you do your personal best, and don't think about how your sister or brother is being treated.

Don't seek compliments from your parents. If you do, you will be sadly disappointed. I know if I have improved myself in some way, such as giving up smoking or stop biting my nails, my mom would always say, "Well, you shouldn't have done it in the first place." Now that I know I won't get any kind words, I don't ask for them and feel okay with it. I seek my gratification from inside myself.

Always network with others. Don't be afraid to tell those close to you how you feel. They might also be in the same boat as you are and can give you tips on how to not care that you are not the 'favorite.' Knowing that others have a similar problem, makes you not so alone.

Learn new things. By having new hobbies or taking classes you will get your mind off how your siblings are treated. Who knows, you might even excel in what you are doing. This will definitely improve your ego.

Buy books about self-image. If you buys books on improving your self-image, it will help you to see how good you really are as a person, and not have to rely on your parents to validate you. I find this definitely helps.

Become friends with your sister or brother. If you can become friends with him or her, you might find that he or she is nice and you can learn something from them. You will see what your parents see in him or her that makes them so special. Remember, you are special, too.

If you follow the above tips, you won't have to be sad and things will start looking up.