I am the oldest of four. Sure, that doesn't seem like too much, but with parents who work full time and a 10-year age gap between myself and the youngest, I've learned quite a few things not only about functioning in a very hectic group, but also about managing responsibility. With that being said, here are the five things every oldest child knows.

1. Younger siblings ALWAYS have fewer rules.

Let's face it -- oldest children are the guinea pigs. Parents are still figuring out where their boundaries lie, which more often than not results in the oldest being subjected to weird rules and regulations, which don't compare to the lax upbringings of the younger siblings.

2. You can tease your siblings, but if anyone else does, they have to deal with you.

Part of having siblings is merciless teasing over everything. The oldest always has the most ammunition, since he or she watched all the younger ones make their mistakes and develop weird habits. However, every oldest sibling knows that the second the brutal jokes leave the family, it becomes time to defend their baby sibling, no matter their age. No one makes fun of the babies of the family, unless they are part of the family.

3. You know how to take care of someone other than yourself.

Part of being the oldest is taking on responsibilities that differ from your other siblings. Babysitting, feeding and keeping the younger kids entertained seemed to fall on you frequently, and because of this, you know how to deal with different odd requests and how to actually care for another human being who, unlike yourself, cannot survive off Hot Cheetos and Mountain Dew.

4. You get to do everything first.

One perk of being the oldest is getting all the firsts. You're the first to lose a tooth, first to drive, first to graduate, putting you in a unique position to experience everything blindly and uninhibited by the experiences of your siblings. Being the child of firsts most likely rewards you with the coolest gadgets, newest clothes and all sorts of other experiences your younger siblings just won't have.

5. You get to watch them grow and change with a third person view.

Sure, we all grow up, but there is something magical about watching the people you have known since the day they were born live their lives and experience both different and similar things to you. It's almost like watching your kids grow up, only without the responsibility and bond of parenthood.

Watching them gives you a gateway into the future, and it helps you stay up to date on the workings of today's youth.

So yeah, being the oldest can suck sometimes, like when you are the guinea pig or given a less priority, but it also gives you a brand new perspective on responsibility and family. Either way, every oldest child knows that they're secretly Mom's favorite!