18 Things All Sisters Should Do Together Before They Turn 18 (But Later Works, Too)
Nine years ago this month, I lost my sister. Too early. She would be turning 51 this month.
When I think of Lisa and the last few years when I could have spent more time with her, the regret sticks in my throat.
She left this world before my kids entered it. She never got to meet them, and I never got to ask for her advice on being a good mom.
She took me to my first professional baseball game. To my first pro basketball game, too. On my first roller coaster. I never took her to do something new she hadn’t done before. Not even to a new restaurant.
She always gave me two birthday cards. A sweet, heartfelt card, and one to make me laugh. After I left home for college, I don’t think I remembered to send her a single card.
The Things That Sisters Do
On the icy day that I was born, when the ambulance couldn’t get to our home in time, 13-year-old Lisa was on the phone with 911. They told her what to do, and she did it. She was there from the very first second I entered this world.
She used to make us nachos in the microwave. The best freaking nachos. And I’ve never been able to get mine to turn out as good as hers.
When I was 13, she had me watch Nightmare on Elm Street. I wouldn’t take a bath for years afterwards because I was afraid Freddy Krueger would come up through the drain. But she also let me watch Dirty Dancing before my mom would let me. And then a few months later when my mom decided I was old enough, I had to sit there and pretend it was my first time watching it.
Sisters have a special brand of magic, and now I see that same magic sparking between my girls.
Watching them grow up together fills my heart to the brim. Watching their sister magic – even when they’re driving each other crazy – I can’t help but smile.
But the regret. It sticks in my throat.
I wish I could go back in time and do all the things I never did with my big sister.
And so I made myself a promise. I will nurture this beautiful, sometimes volatile sister magic between my girls. I will set the stage for my girls to do all the things that sisters should do together.
Related: A Letter to My Sister About Sisterhood
18 Things to Do With Your Sister Before You Turn 18
If you have daughters, look for opportunities to support and encourage these activities so your girls can deepen their bond of sisterhood.
And if you’re an adult with a sister and you haven’t checked off all these awesome sister-bonding activities quite yet, I promise you it’s not too late.
- Stay up late in bed together, whispering made up stories to each other.
- Try out new hairstyles on each other. (As long as no scissors are involved.)
- Sneak the younger one into a movie she’s technically too young for.
- Have a knock-down-drag-out fight over something stupid. Then apologize to each other, without anyone forcing you to.
- Admit your deepest, darkest fears to each other – whether she’s afraid her nose is too big for her face or you’re afraid you’ll never understand chemistry.
- Borrow each other’s clothes or jewelry.
- Do a 1000-piece puzzle together.
- Share inside jokes that no one else understands.
- Bake something together and get batter everywhere, even the ceiling.
- Hear a new song on the radio, fall in love with it, and go on an all-day binge listening to all that artist’s music.
- Play a prank on your parents.
- Teach the younger one what to do if someone touches your body in a way you don’t like.
- Give yourselves matching pedicures.
- Spend all day in your jammies watching your favorite movies.
- Ride a scary roller coaster together.
- Read out loud to each other.
- Go to each other’s sports games, concerts, and plays.
- When she’s fighting with her friends, listen and take her side – because she’ll return the favor one day.
Before you go, get my FREE cheat sheet: 75 Positive Phrases Every Child Needs to Hear
Your Turn
What ideas do you have for things to do with your sister? Share in a comment below!
I have six daughters. I hope they do things for each other the way your sister did for you! I’m sorry for your loss and regret. I regret not being the awesome big sister I should have been in high school. I left home way too early to get another chance. This year my sisters and I are starting our first sisters weekend. I’m looking forward to it!
I always wanted a sister but only had brothers. That’s the main reason when we decided to adopt, the number was a total of 4, and we made sure to split the numbers equally between genders. Two boys, two girls and the bond between each pair, especially the girls, is something special to behold. To watch my oldest child guide my youngest child through the twists and turns of life’s challenges and joys is amazing to watch. Such love and dedication.
very cute list, must do with my little sister. I love you sister tami
Thanks for the great Article, my sisters and I have had good times, but we went through some hard family times and this has inspired me to rekindle our bond more
Yes
I know I’m just a kid but my sister is living with her dad and the last time I saw her it was the last day of summer and she promised that she would come and see us every weekend but she didn’t come once and it is already fall break I just need some advice of how to deal with this and to possible get her to come and see us
Have you talked to her yet? If you have, remind her of what she said. If not, also remind her what she said. Maybe think of something fun you can do together to maybe grab her attention. Then if you do it together and have a great time I’m sure you two will realize that you want to hang out more and that you miss each other. Also, tell her you miss her and that if she won’t come down for the weekend, you will. I hope this helps!
It’s always nice to see the different types of sisterhood relationships, this one touched my heartstrings a little. Thank you for sharing this. It made me buy tickets for a movie date with my four sisters, a bit pricey but every single time I have done something for them, they always appreciate it. Off to the Cinema!!! ^_^
I have one you can add “pull a all nighter with your sister(s) and talk about personal scary and questions they have, about life or school etc..”
Thank you for these ideas. I am going to do these with my sister. She is turning 18 in September. I sorry about your sister.
Something like that can be really bonding…I know from experience. I watch some stuff with my sister not BAD but that I wouldn’t watch with my mom. It’s really nice, and it’s something we can share that brings us closer. It doesn’t have to be “perfect” or something to be bonding. (Not trying to be rude at all. Just saying why I think it’s ok, and why it’s on there.)
I am a sister and I am under 18 and this was so helpful thank you
they should have a sister sleepover!!!
This is great advice. I want to make sure my sisters know I love them. I want to do some of these things with them. I have sevensisters. I’m only really close ro one of them. I hope to change that.
This was really helpful… I want to bond more with my sister and I found some good things to do in here. (: thx
I love to netflix and binge with my elder sisy
Here lately me and my sister are always fighting over stuff and I fell like were just growing apart but this list has inspire me to make a sister weekend and try to do every thing on the list and try to help repair our sister bond with each other.
me and my little sister will love this
I love this. I don’t know anyone else who has a 13 year age gap with their sister. I do. I also have 3 brothers. I waited my whole life and prayed and prayed for a sister, and when I was 12 my mom got pregnant. She was born right around my half birthday. I’m a Leo and she’s an Aquarius. No one really understands how much she means to me, not even her. I’m 21 and she’s 7. I hope one day she thinks of me the way you think of your sister.
These are good things to do i have i big list thanks for it but i have way more to do this weekend (PSS it is ok not rly much on here) bye
Go to a dog park if you have a dog
Play sports !Ike football volleyball etc
My younger sister has recently been diagnosed with ALS. Thank you for sharing your regrets. I’m trying hard not to have any with her, but so afraid that I will.