“Older Sister Pushes Brother into Extracurriculars: Just to Outshine Her Cousin”

I have two daughters, Emily and Sarah, who are only two years apart. Since childhood, they never really got along, although there were never any serious conflicts between them. The issue is that they have very different personalities. Emily always struggled with everything: school, making friends, you name it. But Sarah thrived in every situation, effortlessly excelling in academics and social circles.

Emily’s struggles were a constant source of frustration for her. She would spend hours on homework that Sarah could complete in minutes. Making friends was another uphill battle for Emily, while Sarah seemed to attract people like a magnet. This disparity created an unspoken tension between them that only grew as they got older.

When Emily had her first child, a son named Jake, she was determined to give him every opportunity she felt she missed out on. She enrolled him in various extracurricular activities: piano lessons, soccer practice, art classes, and even coding workshops. She wanted Jake to be well-rounded and successful, unlike her own experience growing up.

Sarah, on the other hand, had a daughter named Lily around the same time. Lily was just as naturally gifted as her mother, excelling in everything she tried. This only fueled Emily’s determination to make Jake even better. She didn’t want her son to be overshadowed by his cousin.

Emily’s obsession with Jake’s success started to take a toll on him. He was constantly tired and stressed from the endless activities his mother signed him up for. He rarely had time to just be a kid and play with his friends. His grades started to slip because he was too exhausted to focus on his schoolwork.

One day, Jake came home from school with a note from his teacher. It said that he had been falling asleep in class and seemed overwhelmed by his schedule. Emily was furious. She couldn’t understand why Jake wasn’t thriving like Lily. She pushed him even harder, adding more activities to his already packed schedule.

Jake’s breaking point came during a piano recital. He had been practicing for weeks, but when he got on stage, he froze. He couldn’t remember the notes and ended up running off the stage in tears. Emily was devastated and angry. She couldn’t understand why Jake wasn’t living up to her expectations.

That night, Jake broke down and told his mother how he felt. He said he was tired of being pushed into things he didn’t enjoy and just wanted to be a normal kid. Emily was shocked but finally realized the damage she had done. She had been so focused on making Jake better than Lily that she hadn’t considered his feelings or well-being.

Emily decided to cut back on Jake’s activities and let him choose what he wanted to do. But the damage was already done. Jake had developed severe anxiety and struggled with self-esteem issues for years. He never fully recovered from the pressure his mother had put on him.

Sarah and Lily continued to thrive, but the relationship between the cousins was strained. Jake resented Lily for being the standard he was always compared to, and Lily felt guilty for something that wasn’t her fault.

Emily learned a hard lesson about the dangers of pushing children too hard and the importance of letting them be themselves. But it came at a high cost for Jake, who would carry the scars of his mother’s ambition for the rest of his life.