Being the only girl, growing up with all brothers made for a very exciting childhood, especially if you were also the youngest of the bunch. People you meet say things like, “Oh, I’m so sorry!” or “Wow, that must have been lonely for you,” when you mention you grew up with all brothers. But in actuality, growing up with nothing but brothers was the best thing that ever happened to you.
Here are 15 signs you grew up with all brothers.
1. Roughhousing WAS playing.
Playing with your brothers in your early years usually involved some form of roughhousing. Whether it was wrestling, tackling, pushing, or kicking, it was important you held your ground against them. That, or cry a bit when they punched you too hard then get right back into the fray. You might even have a few battle scars from those times.
2. Barbie and G.I. Joe was way better than Barbie and Ken.
When you weren’t tackling each other in backyard football, you were sitting Barbie and G.I. Joe in a Humvee together ready to blow up an enemy helicopter. For some reason, Barbie always ended up with G.I. Joe instead of Ken.
3. Video games were life.
Forget about dolls and tea parties, violent video games with your brothers was where it was at. The good ol’ days of fighting over controllers, whose turn it was, and what game to play were some of your best memories.
4. You grew up having your own room.
While your brothers shared a room or two, you were lucky enough to have your own room growing up, and it wasn’t until college you actually shared a room with another person.
5. You were daddy’s princess.
Growing up as his only daughter, you were daddy’s little girl. He might have even gotten you a sweatshirt with “Daddy’s Little Girl” on the front, or a John Deere hat. Depending, on your preference, that hat might have been pink, or camo. Maybe both.
6. Gym class with the guys rocked.
Middle school gym class with the guys was your favorite day in gym class. Instead of huddling in the back of the gym with the other girls in your usual gym class, you were up front catching kickballs with the guys and tagging people out.
7. You may have been exposed to nerdy card games.
Yu-Gi-Oh! and Pokémon were a significant part of your childhood, and maybe even beyond. As you grew older, you might have upgraded to Magic the Gathering. Your girlfriends don’t understand it and might tease you for it, but you still have those old cards stored in a box under your bed or in a drawer somewhere.
8. Makeup was something you had to figure out for yourself.
You didn’t have an older sister to teach you how to do your make-up. For you, drawing on some eyeliner, slapping on some foundation, and applying chap stick is the extent of your daily routine. If it’s a special occasion, you’ll even put on some mascara. Your girlfriends don’t understand how all the makeup you own can fit in a small pouch while they have an entire beach bag for all the makeup they possess.
9. You own maybe one bottle of nail polish.
Your nails spend most of their time in work gloves or caked with dirt from you working just as hard as your brothers. On the rare chance you do get your nails clean enough to paint, clear is the way you go so no one can tell how terrible of a job you did at painting them
10. You don’t make second trips…ever.
You don’t have to prove anything; your parents know you’re the hardest working child. You’ll go right for the heavier crates and boxes when lifting and carrying things, and you never need to take a second trip when grabbing packages from the car. You totally got it.
11. Toilet seat up? No big deal.
Apparently it isn’t good manners for a guy to leave the toilet seat up. In your house, that was never a thing. If the toilet seat was up, you put it down when you needed to use it. You didn’t get offended or mad at the guys in the house. Quite frankly, you think it’s silly some girls get offended by this.
12. You’re familiar with fixing cars.
You might have helped your dad change the tires or the brake pads a few times when your brothers weren’t as willing to do it as you were. When you were young you were the one that held the tire iron and bowl of nuts while your dad worked, and as you got older, he ended up holding the tire iron and bowl for you as you worked.
13. You’re just as confused by the female mind as men are.
Growing up, everything was simple. Then, going to college and sharing a room or apartment with other girls has opened a door to drama and complexities you never knew existed. In your house, you tell your brother it’s his turn to take out the trash and he does it. In your college dorm or apartment, you tell your housemate it’s her turn to take out the trash and she’s convinced you’re singling her out or you secretly hate her.
14. Your sister-in-law’s are just your sisters.
As your brothers got married or are getting married, each one of their wives is a new sister. Although growing up with all brothers was amazing, you’re glad to have their wives in your life you can call sister.
15.You used to wish you had a sister.
At some point in your childhood, you wished you had a sister you could play with, or who could teach you how to use make-up. But looking back, you realize you wouldn’t have had it any other way.
