Dear Prudence,
My youngest sibling (of eight total) is 18 years younger than me (a late-in-life surprise to our parents). He spent several years as the only child at home while we were out in college and building lives, but we tried to maintain relationships and give older sibling advice as needed. We’d host him at our homes, visit him often, make trips to visit, and text/email/call frequently. My parents had considerably more resources when he was a teenager, so he was materially better off than any of us were as teenagers. Being an “only” child left him with a huge sense of entitlement. He married a woman we all hated, but we were supportive. Now they are getting divorced after years of drama, and he’s blaming us for not, in his words, “making an effort.” What’s a polite way to say, “Hey, bro—shove it! But we’re still here.”
—He’s Nine Years Older than my Oldest Kid