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Rachel Renée Russell

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Dork Diaries Book 14

Dork Diaries

#1 New York Times Bestselling Series

 

Ask Brandon



Get the BOY side of things!
Doubtful Dreamer
Timid Tattler

February 7, 2015

Oh Brother!

Sup Brandon!

I share a room with my little brother and we basically get along. The problem is now that I’m older it’s really embarrassing having my friends over.

Our room is filled with stupid kiddie stuff, and whenever I try to chill out with my friends, I have no privacy.  I love my brother but enough is enough. How do I get my own space, have a little privacy, and ditch my little brother?

Bothered by Brother

Dear Bothered by Brother,

That’s got to be rough to have to share a room with your little bro. I don’t have a brother, though I’d love it if I did – but I’d want to love him from down the hall, in a separate room without LEGOS and GI Joes on the floor.

The way I see it, you have three options:

  1. Find a way to get your own room.
  2. Find a way for him to get his own room.
  3. Create some kind of system for fair use of the room.

I’m guessing 1 and 2 might not be options; otherwise, you’d probably already have your own rooms.

But maybe there’s a basement or an attic that your parents would let you use. And that could actually be kind of cool, since you’d be away from the main house. (Much better for having friends over.)

Or, if your parents have a little office that would be better for a smaller kid, maybe they’d let your brother move in there.

They might not want to give up any of their space, but you could explain that you’re getting older and you need your privacy. You could also tell them that you love your brother, but you think you might become resentful if you don’t have adequate boundaries and space from each other.

When you put it that way, your parents will probably get how you feel, since it’s pretty mature, and anyone would feel like that if they were in your shoes – including them.

If you can’t get separate rooms and you have to go with the third option, maybe you could ask your parents for some kind of partition to separate the room.

They could get one of those dividers or freestanding folding screens you can have a little privacy when you have friends over. Then you can decorate your side how you want, and your brother can keep all of his trucks and Transformers on his side.

And if that’s not an option, then all you can do is come up with a plan for who uses it when.

For example, you could tell your brother that on Mondays and Wednesdays, he needs to stay in the living room after school, but he can have the room on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

Since he’s young and he probably looks up to you (and may want to hang out with you and your friends), he might not agree to this.

Or, he might agree to it but then when you have friends over, run in every five minutes for random things he forgot but claims to need right now – like a sock, a rock, or a piece of string that he left under his pillow.

But if you tell him you’ll play with him after your friends leave, he’ll probably be cooler about it.

I hope this helps!

Category: Ask Brandon Tags: brother, siblingsnikki

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Comments

  1. millie says

    February 14, 2015 at 4:46 pm

    Don’t worry i have a little bro he is so annoying but I don’t share a room with him

  2. Lady Gaga says

    February 13, 2015 at 11:31 am

    I guess that’ll work. I don’t really experience any of those since I’m the only child. But these advices seem great!

  3. Dorkchick66JC says

    February 13, 2015 at 9:49 am

    OMG!!!! I have a brother and he is SOOOO annoying!!!!! At least i don’t share a room with him!!!!

  4. Ananya says

    February 13, 2015 at 8:44 am

    Hi.Though I don’t have a sibling , I’m getting my room.It’s in a very tiny space,but I’ll manage.
    And I’m new so I need a bit guidance and some friends,so if you don’t mind being friends with me…

  5. Fangirl128 says

    February 12, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    im a only child 🙂

  6. Zoeysha says

    February 12, 2015 at 2:16 am

    Dear bothered by brother
    I agree with Brandon
    If your brother is irritating you, you can tell him to keep all the childish stuff inside his kupboard, if he doesn’t listen, you can actually pay him to keep his stuff inside. If he doesn’t want money then you can buy something he wants with your allowance. But if he still doesn’t listen, then you can talk to your mom about this problem. She will surely make arrangements for your problem. You can also play with your friends in the basement as Vanessa said. Or instead of playing t your house you can go to friends house for playing. If you really want to call them to YOUR house

    • Zoeysha says

      February 12, 2015 at 2:19 am

      Sorry I did not finish my advice
      So
      If you really want to call them to your house you can play in your backyard with your friends and let your brother have the room by himself.
      I am seriously good at giving advice, do you think
      Please tell me how my advice is!
      Love
      Zoey

    • Zoeysha says

      February 12, 2015 at 2:21 am

      Sorry,I meant
      Instead of playing AT your house
      Not
      Instead of playing T your house

      I am sorry for the mistake!

    • Sarayu Pininti says

      February 12, 2015 at 4:26 pm

      little brothers are sweet and lovable as long as you don’t annoy them

  7. Bailey says

    February 11, 2015 at 7:27 pm

    i agree with Brandon but get ur brother some friends to play with outside while ur inside or swich it up

  8. Faith says

    February 11, 2015 at 6:50 pm

    Do things he doesn’t like to don but you and your friends do.

  9. Laura222 says

    February 11, 2015 at 2:43 am

    I have an older sister
    Whose 4 years elder than me
    So she’s cool n stuff but………
    :/

    • Faith says

      February 11, 2015 at 6:52 pm

      I have one that is 5 years older 13 years old and she is so boring so stay interesting so he still has fun but isn’t clingy!

    • cupcakelover says

      February 11, 2015 at 9:10 pm

      but what Laura222

  10. cupcakelover says

    February 10, 2015 at 9:52 pm

    what I would of did was left and had my family room as my own room with the tv and watch what ever I could until he would ask me to read him a bed time story if he did was act like I am sleep and when he left I would keep watching bring it

  11. You Name It, Liz Knows It says

    February 10, 2015 at 7:34 pm

    Hi friend!
    (we’re friends now so deal with it)
    I remember when I shared a room with my older sister. She hated me. I would leave huge messes and never clean up after myself. But I remember that the 1 thing I loved doing most as a little kid was play with my sister. Just say that if you little bro leaves you alone while your friends are here, you’ll play batman (or some game he likes) with him for an hour after they leave! It ALWAYS worked with me. If it doesn’t work, you could bribe him with something else, like candy or money. And if all else fails, try hanging out with him! Unless you’re talking about girls or watching a PG13 movie, hanging out with your little bro with your friends could be fun! I hope this helps!
    XOXO Liz

    • Faith says

      February 11, 2015 at 7:25 pm

      Things to bribe with 3-6: Candy, Money for toys and candy, TV time, if you have like a phone or DS let him play on it (it worked on me back then but I grew out of it),. Things to bribe with 7-10 Money, if he is a sneaker head sneakers like jays or jordans or my personal favorite converse, and joke stuff like magic coin slider!

  12. Sarahjo2002 says

    February 10, 2015 at 7:10 pm

    what if it’s a kiiinda sooorta really immature older sis who kiiinda sooorta won’t let you get rid of some really embarrassing crud in your room like 4 toy chests, a shelf entirely of kid’s books you don’t remember and won’t let you rearrange (she has a longbow beside her bed, for crying out loud) i love my sis, but this gets really annoying and kindof embarrassing when i have friends over. my mom won’t let me make changes when she’s not around (about 99.9% of this stuff she wouldn’t even notice is gone or care) and i have to make changes when she isn’t looking. what do i do?

  13. Amy J says

    February 10, 2015 at 1:12 pm

    Be honest and kind tell him “I think it is time for you to get a room to yourself because I need privacy”

    Hope I Helped thnxs
    Amy J

    • Hannah marie says

      February 10, 2015 at 9:51 pm

      I agree! I just got my own room for privacy!!

  14. dorkygirl says

    February 9, 2015 at 9:21 pm

    that is how my little bro /brother/ is .he emmberacess me infront of my bff

  15. DorkJulie says

    February 9, 2015 at 8:25 pm

    I just totally relate to u!!!

  16. D.D.Girl n_n (DORKS RULE!!!!) says

    February 9, 2015 at 7:37 pm

    I know how you feel I have to brothers sometimes they can make your life a living nightmare! “^”

  17. D.D. girl n_n (DORKS RULE!!!!) says

    February 9, 2015 at 7:35 pm

    I agree with both Brandon and Animated Emojicons

  18. (●*∩_∩) ᗩᘉᓰᗰᗩ♈ᕮↁ ᕮᗰ〇♈ᓰᙅ〇ᘉᔕ (∩_∩*●) says

    February 9, 2015 at 12:19 pm

    I agree with you Brandon! I never get along with my brother but the good thing is that I’m separate from my brothers by having my own room. Anyways, here’s my advice:

    If you want to be separate from your little brother, why don’t you arrange another room in your house to hang out with your friends (e.g. basement, backyard)? That way your won’t bothered. 🙂
    But if it doesn’t work for you, just follow Brandon’s advice.

    Hope it helps!

    {~} (●*∩_∩) ᗩᘉᓰᗰᗩ♈ᕮↁ ᕮᗰ〇♈ᓰᙅ〇ᘉᔕ (∩_∩*●) {~}

  19. Emilia says

    February 9, 2015 at 9:06 am

    I think that you should get your own room.And find away to not make you bro not feel bad.

  20. Joy Melbourne, Australia says

    February 9, 2015 at 12:34 am

    Okay, um I have a little brother but i don’t know what it is like to share one with him. We live in a big house, so we all have our own personal space. Although, I’m sorry to hear that he embarrasses you! 🙂

  21. Artsy dork says

    February 8, 2015 at 8:58 pm

    Wow! I couldn’t imagine having to share my room with my little brother. Honestly having a little brother does kind of stink. From personal experience. a good thing to do is create your own space in your basement. If it’s finished. You can use it for homework, reading and hanging out with Your friends.

  22. Kahliyah says

    February 8, 2015 at 7:09 pm

    My Brothers are lovable and really sweet but at times i want to be on my computer and be left alone for a while what do i do

    • You Name It, Liz Knows It says

      February 10, 2015 at 8:07 pm

      HIIII!
      Nikki might be to busy to give you advice, but I’m not!
      Actually I am, I have a lot of homework, I’m just ignoring it.
      Anyways! Options:
      1) Ignore them? That’s not happening.
      2) Ask them nicely to have a little privacy. If they really look up to you, they will respect you. Wait a minute, how young are they? Ya, that’s probably not happening either.
      3) Wear headphones
      As you can tell, I’m bad at giving advice. Sorry!
      XOXO Liz

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