Students with siblings know there’s much more to having them than fighting over clothes. Indeed, Freshman Ashton Blake might be considered an expert on the subject, with ten siblings ranging from adults to little kids. What’s even more difficult though, is attending the same school as a few of them.

“Sometimes, if we’re annoyed with each other there can [be] a tension between us so we don’t talk to each other. But it’s not that bad.” Blake said. Often, having someone with direct contact to your parents at school can be stressful, and all sorts of drama can arise from the many embarrassing situations that come with having a brother or sister. Blake, however, has worked out a system with his family.

“We kinda leave each other mostly alone.[…] I might talk to him about some things but, you know, we don’t really interact that much,” he said, and the method seems to work perfectly well for him. Keeping home and school separate can eliminate a lot of unnecessary stressors, but sometimes it can follow you whether you want it to or not. No matter what intentions teachers might have, they will often express an opinion about a student’s sibling. Though some admit to feeling uncomfortable by this, Blake chooses to take a more positive point of view.

“I actually kind of like [when teachers bring up my siblings], my family kind of has a little legacy going on,” he said.

After all, your siblings are your family, and in some sense, so are your fellow students. Though the mixing of the two might lead to a lot of awkward moments, perhaps being surrounded by family isn’t so bad after all.