My twin sister and I are the youngest of five girls. This means that I have four sisters; yes, I grew up in a house full of girls, except for my dad. When most people hear that there were six girls (including my mom) living under one roof, they assume the worst.
Unfortunately, when my dad says that he has five daughters, people usually feel bad for him. Every time this happens, my dad is quick to remind them that each of his daughters is a blessing in his life and that he wouldn’t change a thing.
Movies and TV shows portray girl groups as a wild ball of hormones and attitude. Now, trust me, all of us sisters had our moments where our attitude got the best of us, but those small moments are not what fill my memory. What I remember the most are all of the times that my sisters were my best friends. Even when they moved out and went to college, I looked forward to when they would come home for holidays and the whole family was back together. Beyond this, there are countless benefits to growing up in a family of girls. Here are a few of them.
Shopping in Their Closets
Some of the more obvious benefits of having so many sisters are that I always had a plethora of clothing to choose from. With four sisters I was bound to have at least one of them that was the same shoe size as me or a similar body shape.
I never had the last minute freakout of finding a dress for a dance or running around looking for an outfit for a social event. Instead, my sisters would toss clothes my way or help me scan through my closet and find something to wear.
The Best Advice
One thing that even my best friends cannot beat is the advice my sisters gave and still give to me to this day. My sisters range from 3 years to 9 years older than me so they experience most parts of life before I do.
When I was getting ready to leave for college, instead of packing random Target finds that I would not end up needing, my sisters told me what I would and would not use. When I was cramming the car full of everything I needed for my first year of college, I was thankful to know I was only packing stuff I would use.
My sisters also warned me of how many times your friends will change, your opinions will change, or your environment will change in life. Having some warning going through the many transitions in life was helpful. I almost always felt prepared for what was ahead.
Built-in Friends
When I was young, in elementary school and middle school, I definitely annoyed my sisters plenty, like any sibling would. But as I started going through the awkward transitions of late middle school and high school, my sisters were always there for me as friends came and went.
I switched schools many times in my life and sometimes certain friends and I would have fall-outs. I knew that even if a friendship did not workout, I had four best friends back at home.
Powerful Girls
Many girls grow up thinking that they do not hold the same abilities as their male counterparts. Growing up in a house full of girls and a dad that supported us always, I knew nothing other than powerful women. I saw the things that my sisters were capable of and I knew I could do the same, if not more.
I am not saying that growing up in a house full of girls was always perfect, but I know it was nothing close to the way people thought it would be. It did make me think a little harder when I saw the horrible ways girls could treat each other.
Why do girls see another girls’ success as intimidating instead of empowering?
What would it look like for a woman to reach the peak of her career and then turn around and look to see who she can help reach the same heights?
Take a look at where you are in your life. Scan your surroundings and see if there are friends around you that need some help winding their way through a circumstance you might have already experienced. If you know the path to success, find someone who could benefit from what you have learned. You will be surprised by the effect it will have.
