The real truth to what its like being 10 years older than your siblings. Most siblings are normally around the same age, or off by a few years. Then there are the families that have a big age gap, like 10! For me, this is the real life truth of being the oldest by 10 years.
When being the oldest, you have a lot more responsibility when it comes to watching them. You are basically a third parent. You do almost everything that a babysitter does, but you don't get paid. This includes getting them ready, driving them and disciplining them (and that isn't fun). I have always thought, maybe to the parents I'm just a babysitter to them, and not a child also.
Being the one that they look up to isn't easy. In my situation, I have two siblings that haven't even started middle school yet, and I just graduated high school, going to college! They look up so much to the older sibling. The worst part is when you fail and they watch you fail. But then it's always a lesson later in life for them. No one knows the future but being older, you know all of this information about the world, middle and high school, that you have all of this advice about what to do, how to study or what to take.
By the time most siblings in this situation graduate college the young ones are still in high school. This is the scariest part of them all because you are an adult and on your own, while your siblings are still in high school and middle school. You know so much by now, and the scariest thing is failing at "adulting" and them watching you. Being the oldest by this much is kinda like a test run. Let's send one out first and then the others will know what not to do at the point.
Being the oldest, you aren't in the same mindset. Whenever you hang out with family or just around the house, there is a maturity gap. It's harder to agree on things to do. This could into lots of arguments (that the oldest child never wins) about what to do or what to watch.
By now you are probably wondering where is the good? The good thing about being the oldest by such a large age gap is being able to discipline when the parent isn't around. As being 18, an adult, you get to punish if necessary. This mostly comes in handy when parents aren't around and there needs to be rules or told "no".
In the end, I will love my siblings no matter what. No matter the age gap or when I'm an adult. They are family no matter what. They just came a little later in life than you did. Siblings are great because you know you will never be alone one day.
