Whether you grow up with only one younger sibling or seven the rules of being the oldest always apply and are something you can never get away from.

1. Parenting was new to your parents

They didn't know how hard or easy parenting was going to be. They only knew that they had a child that they were just meeting. Who you were going to be, depended on how well they raised you. This meant that they were especially strict with you versus the younger kids in the family. If you had to be 13 before you got your ears pierced or got a phone your little sister only had to wait for you to be 13.

2. Built in babysitter

You were always left to watch your siblings if your parents had other things to do. Your parents never gave you any real power over them, though. your siblings never took you seriously which leads us to number three...

3. You were always "So Bossy"

Whether or not you were truly being bossy didn't matter because your siblings barked up that tree all day. It didn't matter if you were just relaying information from mom to brother, he would make a fuss about how mean you were always telling him what to do.

4. You are held to a higher standard

"You are older" is a phrase you won't forget soon because you have had it pounded into your head. If they hit you, you couldn't hit them back because it was you who would get into trouble then. Don't even get started with name calling or bad attitudes because it all blows up in your face in the end.

5. You have to be a good example

You can't do stupid or crazy things that will leave the younger children of the family trying to copy you. This just leads to problems where they try to replicate what you did and then breaking something or getting hurt. When mom and dad find out, it is all back to number four again.

6. You end up choosing between being the cool older sibling or being the good one

Their friends will talk them into asking you for something and you have a choice to make. To either play along and help them out, which wouldn't be helping them at all, or say no and risk being called a loser or dumb because you wouldn't pay up. It is a sort of lose-lose situation that you won't be avoiding anytime soon

7. You have to watch your babies grow up

Lets be honest with ourselves for a moment here, you wouldn't want to trade being related to the knuckleheads for anything. You love them way too much to let them make fools of themselves so you tell them how you screwed up so they won't make the same mistake. You, of course, are made to feel old when they start hitting their milestones, though. Yeah, they are a pain, which you never fail to make sure they know, but you sure love them.