Being the youngest sibling is hard sometimes, but what if you were the only girl too? Well, that's my life. I am the youngest of five and the only girl. Yes, I have four older brothers.
Growing up with four older brothers is an experience only certain people could relate to. For those who believe it could be fun all the time, I'm here to tell you "No, not all the time." However, the lessons they have taught me were effective and hilarious at the same time. Here are the 11 lessons my brothers taught me without them knowing.
1. They have taught me that you can make almost anything you want out of some household item.
i.e. Equipment that was made for a certain activity.
2. Sneaking out the house is easier than you'd think it would be.
At first, you feel like your heart is racing and that if you get caught, your world is slowly going to end. However, after 10 minutes, you feel on top of the world and having the time of your life.
3. But make sure you have someone that can cover for you or help you get in.
4. When your mom buys groceries, take the stuff you like best and hide it in your room.
I’ve hidden pop tarts, granola bars, soup, cereal, and even water in my room before. If my room had a bathroom attached to it, I would have never left and been happy about it.
Speaking of bathrooms…
5. Always clean the bathroom.
My mom necessarily taught me this one, but my brothers’ actions told me that I’ll have to be the one to clean it if I want to use it in the middle of the night. Thanks, guys.
6. It’s only okay to fight if you’re defending yourself.
But try not to fight at school, because fighting at school leads to getting suspended. (They didn’t tell me exactly that, but that’s what I got from that lesson.)
7. Not every girl your brother comes home with is going to be your potential sister-in-law.
As the younger sister of four brothers, it’s safe to say that I have had my fair share of encounters with the girls my brothers would bring home to the family. Some of them were really nice, others were just in the background and never said much, and there were some that never made life boring. I have to say, though, throughout all the countless number of girlfriends or potential girlfriends I have met, there are the ones that I really do believe should have stayed around and the ones that overstayed their welcome. If there is anything I learned from this, it’s that it’s always better (and sometimes funnier) for my brothers to figure that out themselves.
8. Their shirts eventually become your shirts over time.
I have taken about five or six of my brothers’ shirts, and they are either with me, or back home in my room. I only take the ones that look much better on me than they do on them. Also, I helped them get rid of clothes to make room for new ones. They’ll thank me for it one day.
9. They taught me to be myself, despite what anyone else thinks.
Growing up, my brothers were all athletes, and they excelled at school. While I wasn’t necessarily an athlete, I did excel in school, was part of clubs, and really branched out in high school, which inspired me to move 1000 miles away from home to attend college.
10. There is always a peacemaker in the family.
Out of the five of us, there is a peacemaker. He is always levelheaded, willing to play devil’s advocate for the other side, and makes sure we all stop one another from ripping one another to shreds.
11. No matter how badly we want to be away from one another, we always will love and support each other.
Granted, my brothers are annoying. They’re stubborn and make choices that are not the best for them, but as their sister, I have to be supportive of their life choices, as they should be of mine. We’re a family and we have to be proud of one another.
So thank you, guys. For the love, the lessons, and the amount of stories I have to last me a lifetime.
