I (18m) just started college this fall at an in-state university 4 hours away. I have a little brother (14m). I visited home for the first time since starting this past weekend.
Saturday night he comes into my room after I’m already in bed and asks if he can sleep with me tonight. I thought it was a strange request but I said okay. He gets in bed and I ask if everything is okay.
He starts crying and says he’s missed me a lot and says he doesn’t want me to go back and leave him all alone. He says he’s sorry if he was ever mean to me but I’m like his best friend and he loves me a lot even though he never really tells me that. He said he doesn’t want to grow up and do all of high school without me. He feels I’m moving on without him and it’s just quiet and boring at home with just our parents and they don’t understand him like I do.
I try to console him and say we can talk a lot and I’ll visit and stuff but he says it just won’t ever be the same again. He just sobs and scoots closer to me and hugs me tight. Eventually he falls asleep still holding on to me. I don’t sleep well cause he’s all up in my space but I try not to disturb him.
The next morning I get up and he’s still asleep. I get up and go to leave the room and he says he’s sorry for bothering me last night. I say it’s okay. He says please don’t tell mom and dad about this. I ask why not. He says he’s fine and he doesn’t want everyone making a big deal about it. I say I won’t.
Later mom mentions to me that she noticed my brother was in my room and if everything was okay. I say yeah we were just catching up and he fell asleep so I didn’t want to disturb him. She seems to buy it.
I leave Sunday afternoon. Brother is playing a video game when I leave and hardly acknowledges me. I’ve been trying to check in more with text and calls but he’s been very slow to respond.
I’m not sure what to do? Should I tell my parents? Come home more often?
TL;DR – my little brother is taking it hard that I’m away at college, what do I do?