How to Drive Your Brother Crazy (No Matter His Age)

Imitate his voice. Whenever your brother says something, repeat his words, but use a squeaky voice. This is a classic move that has been driving younger siblings nuts for generations. It’s especially effective when he says something like, "Stop it!" or "I’m telling Mom!"

• When your parents walk in, quickly switch back to your normal voice to avoid getting caught.

Take sneaky bites from his plate. During dinner, wait for the perfect moment when no one is looking and casually nibble off his plate. Make sure it’s his favorite dish! Before he catches on, drop a line like, "Whoa, where did all your food go?"

Boss him around like you're his parent. Younger brothers are always desperate to seem older, so the more you highlight his childishness, the more it will bug him. Treat him like he’s way younger than you, no matter what.

• If you’re doing chores together, tease him about how slow he is: "It’s taking forever to wash that plate! Guess you're still a baby, huh?"
• Assign him tasks, even if you're not the one in charge. Try something like, "As the older sibling, I command you to do all the laundry. Now, move it!"

Make up outrageous stories and convince him they’re real. Little brothers are gullible and will believe almost anything you tell them. Here’s your chance to mess with their heads. If you can get them to repeat it as though it’s true? You’ve won.

• Tell him that avocados are actually dinosaur eggs and they’re dangerous to eat.
• Tell him he wasn’t born, but grew out of a bucket of catfish heads.
• Convince him that you can read minds. When he thinks, "No you can’t," you can prove him wrong.
• Tell him the dog can talk when he’s not around and that it wants to eat him.
• Say that Star Wars is a documentary and really happened.
• Tell him that when he hits his next birthday, his nipples will fall off and then grow back.

Embarrass him in front of his friends. If your brother has some friends over, it’s the perfect opportunity to mess with him a little and (harmlessly) roast him in front of others. Pull out some old baby pictures, or remind him of something embarrassing he did the day before when his friends are around. He’ll get really annoyed.

• Ultimate prank: Dump a glass of water on his bed to make it look like he wet the bed last night. Wait for his friends to discover it when they arrive.
• Be cautious with this one. Embarrassing him for fun is okay, but if you take it too far, it might hurt his feelings and strain your relationship.

Give him the silent treatment. If you’re seeking payback, sometimes ignoring your brother completely can be the best revenge. He likely craves attention, and depriving him of it will drive him mad.

• Don’t let him join in on whatever you’re doing. If you’re watching a movie, tell him it’s for older kids only. Exclude him from anything fun you’re involved in.

Try to be his friend, too. Younger brothers often look up to their older siblings and enjoy spending time with them. In fact, annoying you could be his way of showing affection! Despite the times he bugs you, remember that you can also be a good influence on him. Instead of focusing on annoying him, try to show him the ropes and build a genuine friendship.

• Only use these tactics when you're getting back at him for being mean. Don't make this a regular habit.
• Keep your teasing lighthearted and avoid crossing the line into bullying.

Invade his room. Older brothers are very protective of their personal space. If he has his own room, make it your mission to go in there without permission. Ask him endless questions and start messing with his things. You can even hide his most valuable possessions—his phone, keys, homework books—anything he really cares about.

• Do something strange in his room while he’s out, like pulling all his clothes into a pile, or labeling everything with sticky notes. Label the window “Window,” the computer “Computer,” and even his change jar “143 cents.” He’ll be so confused!
• Play innocent. If he tries to chase you out, just tell your parents that you were only trying to ask him a question and he overreacted.
• Hold his belongings hostage. Tell him, "Oh, you need your phone? I know where it is. If you give me a ride to the comic book store, I’ll let you have it."

Make irritating sounds. Wait for the perfect moment when your brother is fully absorbed in something, like playing a tricky game, chatting with his crush, or working on homework. Then, unleash the noise! Make ridiculous sounds with your mouth, armpit, or toys. Make a ruckus.

• Let loose: whistle, blow raspberries, create fart noises. The world is your soundstage.
• Just make sure your parents are elsewhere so you can stop in time before things get too out of hand.

Turn off the internet while he's using it. If you have a router at home, find it and locate the reset button. When your brother is deep in an online chat or gaming session, repeatedly press the reset button to throw off his connection and frustrate him.

• If you're not sure where the router is, casually ask your parents, "Hey, how does the internet work? Can you show me?" They’ll think you're just curious. Don’t give away your plan.
• Make sure you do this when he’s not in the middle of something critical, like an important call or online class. Only mess with his connection when you know he’s doing something less important.

Wake him up at the crack of dawn. If your brother stayed out late the night before, wake him up at 6 a.m. by blasting some loud rock music, like Linkin Park or AC/DC, or play an epic battle scene from The Lord of the Rings on max volume. Do it in his room on a Saturday. Instant annoyance.

• If he has an alarm, reset it to go off two hours earlier than he normally wakes up. No one should be up at 4 a.m. Except your older brother.

Take a break sometimes. It might not always seem like it, but having a brother is pretty great, and you’ll probably get along much better as you both grow older. While annoying your brother might seem fun, it can be immature and land you both in hot water. Try to get along as much as you can. You might even end up being friends and enjoying each other's company, rather than just pestering each other!

• Try to learn from him. Older siblings tend to know a lot about their younger ones. Instead of annoying him, try understanding why he acts the way he does.

• Remember, the goal is to annoy—not to hurt. Keep it light and fun, and stop if he gets upset.

• Be cautious—you could end up in trouble if you’re not careful. But as long as you keep it light, you’ll be fine!