When most people hear that I grew up the only girl out of four kids, their reactions are usually somewhere between shock and pity.

Responses will usually include the words "wow" and "I'm sorry." But being the only girl in my family has A LOT of perks.

1. I can get away with things.

Being the only girl has allowed me to get away with way more than my brothers would ever be able to. Sometimes this is because they don't revenge tattle on me as much, but it is mostly because I am the princess of the house. I have definitely gotten away with sleeping in on the weekends or not doing chores way more than my brothers have.

2. No hand-me-downs.

All three of my brothers have different styles and what was popular when one of them was in elementary school may not be popular now. This can lead to some frustration. Most of the time my mom just tells them to deal with it. Being the only girl, I don’t have this problem. I get the luxury of shopping for my own wardrobe.

3. My own room.

Enough said.

4. I'm the official fashion police of the house.

I take great joy in telling them what I think about their fashion choices. I have a better sense of fashion than they do, and they know it. Sometimes they even let me pick out their outfit. It is like the good old days when I dressed them up in costumes (kind of, but not really).

5. I get to embarrass them... a lot.

All I have to do to make them blush is yell their name and attempt to give them a hug. But the best moments are when I get to pull out a picture of them in a dress when they were three years old.

6. The spotlight is all mine.

Growing up in a competitive family, I definitely have a competitive spirit. Over the years, I’ve learned to limit my competitiveness to things that truly matter, like Settlers of Catan and class Kahoot quizzes. But I can guarantee you that if there was another girl in the house, that competitiveness would be coming out a lot more. Being the only girl, I don’t have to compete for the spotlight.

7. I can actually carry a conversation about "guy things."

When someone mentions sports, I can keep up and understand what they are saying. I’m not going to be that girl talking about a touchdown at a baseball game. And if you try to diss my team, you can be sure I will get defensive.

8. My patience level is well above average.

After countless late night nerf gun battles while I tried to study and many occasions of telling my brothers to stop fighting, I have learned to endure an abnormal amount of annoyance. Annoying people in real life rarely phase me anymore. So keep on tapping your pencil, girl in the second row, because I can handle it.

9. I get to be a role model.

My influence can be both a good or bad thing. It was a sad day when they started to use my sarcasm against me. Then again, I did teach them to be a bit more civilized when in public. It goes both ways.

10. Less drama.

Guys are a lot less dramatic. I can always trust my brothers to tell it how it is. Granted, it is not always what I wanted to hear, but it is something that needed to be said. And when we disagree, it works out fairly easily because they are a lot less likely to pull the “well you did this” card. This also means that if there is drama in the house, it is most likely my fault, but I like to think that it does not happen very often.

11. They come to me for advice about girls.

I have helped my brother with his Winter Formal or Junior Senior Banquet proposal on more than one occasion. I am also the go-to advisor for Christmas, birthday, and Valentine’s day gift ideas because let’s face it, chocolate and flowers are not going to cut it for every single special occasion. Plus, I get plenty of opportunities to tease them about their crush or girlfriend a little bit, but just a little bit.

12. I learned to be independent.

This may be one of the biggest character traits I gained from being the only girl. When the boys didn’t want to play with my dolls, I used my imagination and improvised. When I didn’t want to play baseball with the boys 24/7, I found other things to do, like read. I learned to be my own person, find my own interests, and motivate myself to be the best person I can be.

* * *

Being the only girl has a lot of perks. But the greatest part is the love I have for my brothers and the love they have for me, and that is possible no matter what the ratio of boys to girls is. I love my brothers more than words can describe. They may be annoying and brutally honest, but I am a better person for it. I always wanted a sister when I was younger, but I now realize that my three brothers are the best siblings I could ever have. You three mean the world to me.