No one forgets the moment that their younger sibling comes into their lives. I clearly remember going to the hospital with my grandma, proudly wearing a large button that read “I’m A Big Sister!” Who knew that my life would be changed forever when my younger brother was born. And as a result, there are some serious perks to being an older sibling.
1. You have someone you can share your wisdom with
A perk of being an older sibling is, now that you have information to navigate life, you have someone to share it with. Since you are older, you can tell your sibling all the information you wished you had known when you were younger. You provide your younger sibling with tips and tricks to make their way through any situation, whether it be school, relationships or even Mom and Dad.
2. You can always come to your sibling for advice
Even though you share your wisdom with your sibling, you still need advice too. And the best person to go to is your sibling because they know you almost as well as you know yourself.
3. As kids, you could trick your younger sibling into doing almost anything
You may have abused your power to get your little sibling to do your chores or to ask Mom for snacks more than you should have.
4. You have the advantage in all “rough house” play (well, most of the time)
Sorry, little brother/sister, maybe one day you will beat me, but right now I’m half a foot taller than you and have at least 20 pounds on you, so I think I’m going to sit on you until you call for Mom and Dad.
5. Mom and Dad trust you more than your sibling
You can go out more and stay out later than your sibling because Mom and Dad know you are responsible and trustworthy. You’ll get there one day, little sibling.
6. When you go away to college, you genuinely look forward to seeing your sibling when you come home
Admit it, you missed them while you were gone, and it sucks to leave them again. You don’t realize it until you want to show them something funny you saw on Twitter and you have to send it to them instead of just running down the hall to show them.
7. When you come back home, nothing has changed
Even on the drive home from the airport or from being picked up at school, you already start up with your normal teasing and habits that annoy you, but you can’t help loving too.
8. Our inside jokes that never die
Mom and Dad will never know why we
are laughing in the back of the car so hard that our sides hurt and that tears
are streaming from our eyes.
9. At family gatherings, you always have your younger sibling to keep you company
When all of the adults start talking about topics that make us want to fall asleep, you can always count on your sibling to entertain you and to do something way more fun. Family gatherings would be dull without your sibling to liven things up.
10. You’ll always have your sibling as your best friend
Your siblings are arguably the first friends you ever make. When friends your age are too much, or are driving you crazy, you can always rely on your sibling to be there to spend time with you and to provide a different kind of friendship that you cannot live without. Whether it’s playing video games, watching TV or spending time in the great outdoors, you and your younger sibling will always be best buds.
