Growing up I always envied my friends who had sisters. They always looked so put together with their matching dresses, bows, and dolls while I stood by in my t-shirt trying to evade any oncoming attack from the two boys I shared my house with. As the years have passed, my wanting for a sister has faded and I've come to embrace the fact that I will always be outnumbered by those carrying the Y chromosome. While they've had no problems torturing me over the years and reminding me that I'm the lone wolf of the pack, there are certain things that only girls who grew up surrounded by the mixture of testosterone and crudeness that makes up the special breed of humans known as brothers can relate to.
1. You've mastered your poker face.
When it comes to getting under your skin, brothers are the masters. Whether it's messing with your latest crush or milking your pet peeve, you've learned that the answer to it all is to play it off like it doesn't matter.
2. Their clothes are your clothes.
Any girl knows that guy clothes make for the most comfortable. Having brothers, you get first pick of their t-shirts, sweatpants, and hoodies. Besides, who really cares if your clothes are three sizes too big?
3. They know a bad boyfriend before you do.
Maybe it's brotherly knowledge, maybe it's knowledge from experience. Regardless of what you call it, all brothers can pick out a bad egg before you can and they have no problem letting you, or him, know about their opinion.
4. At some point, your younger brother will begin to act like he's older.
There comes a point in every girl with a younger brother's life that he not only looks older than you, but begins to act like he's older as well. Along with your older brother, they begin to become overprotective and treat you like a baby.
5. Always be on your toes.
Growing up with brothers, you learn to always keep your defenses up. Life with boys is a constant attack where revenge is key, anything can act as a weapon, and rules don't apply. After all, all's fair in love and war right?
6. Their friends are off limits.
If you have an older brother, their best friend was undoubtedly your first real crush. You'd follow your brother around just to see his friends. Now, his friends are older and cuter and those little crushes become real. Regardless, whether they're older or younger, your brother's friends are off limits, no matter how matter how cute or lovable they may be.
7. You're off limits.
Just like you know his friends are off limits, your brother's friends know that you're untouchable territory and if they try to touch you, they'll have to deal with him. Any girl with protective brothers knows that the stories where the best friend and little sister fall in love are just fairy tales.
8. You get to see the side of boys that others don't.
Most girls would love to get inside a guy's head. However, those of us with brothers know that they really aren't all that complex. Once you cover food, sex, and sports, it only leaves about 10% of their brain for real thought. After a few times hanging with 'the boys', you start to question why you thought they were so difficult to understand in the first place.
9. You'll always be your dad's favorite and they won't let you forget it.
When you're the only girl among boys, the term 'daddy's girl' takes on a whole new meaning. It's a title given to you, the only daughter, and your dad's favorite child. Your brothers will never give up the chance to mock you or remind you of your position. But hey, being a daddy's girl definitely has it's perks, right?
10. Girls don't always take the longest to get ready.
Anybody with a brother knows that while we girls may take a while to get ready, nothing is more frustrating than waiting for a guy to get ready. Yeah it might have taken us an hour to get ready, but they had an hour to get ready and still not dressed. Really?
11. When trouble rolls around, they're the first person you call.
When it comes to taking care of an issue, your brother's always your first call. Whether it's you getting in trouble or a guy breaking your heart, your brother always has your back.
12. You know how to make yourself heard.
Living with boys can be pretty chaotic which means from a young age you had to learn how to get the attention and get your point across.
13. You know how to cook... in bulk.
If there's one thing a growing up with brothers teaches you, it's that boys can eat. They'll down five pizzas, a bucket of fried chicken, and a carton of ice cream without blinking an eye (or gaining any weight). Unfortunately, when these cravings hit and mom's not around, as the only girl they look to you for all of their food needs.
14. They consult your dad when you break their full coverage dress code.
With a dress code stricter than high school, brothers will never blink an eye when it comes to asking your dad for help. Shirt goes down too far? Call Dad. Shorts too short? Call Dad. Dress too tight? Definitely call Dad.
15. You played sports a little harder than the other girls.
Regardless of whether you were playing tag in the backyard or playing soccer at the park, your brothers always made sure there was a little healthy competition. Even though you usually lost to the boys, your competitive edge came in handy when you played with other girls.
16. They knew if you screamed for dad, it was serious.
Whether your brothers are being super unbearable or you simply just can't handle it that day, nothing puts more fear in your brother's heart than calling in dad for backup.
17. They're harder on you than necessary.
No matter how many rude comments or annoying jokes they play, at the end of the day your brothers only want the best for you. Although they have a strange way of showing it, you'll always be the baby that they worry about, making them harder on you than they need to be. But hey, it's all for the best.
18. You can be 'one of the guys'.
Although you can hang with the girls, you're much more comfortable around guys thanks to your brothers. Consequently, this also means you tend to be able to out drink and out cuss most of your guy friends. Oops.
19. They're honest... Even when you don't want them to be.
"Does this dress make me look fat?" "Yes."
20. You wouldn't trade them for anything.
Regardless of their bad habits, smelly belongings, and annoying tendencies, you'd never trade your brothers for anything or anyone... Except maybe a puppy.
