1. You are the mom/dad in training.
Your siblings are basically your kids. You already talk to them like you're the mom/dad, and you even call them your kids at times. You already know that you're pretty prepared for having your own kids whenever you're ready, thanks to your siblings. "Don't make me send you to your room!" and "You can watch TV after you eat all of your dinner" are phrases that have come out of your mouth more than once.
2. Most of your week is spent babysitting them.
"We'll be back in a minute!" turns into you calling your parents four hours later asking, "Where the heck are you guys?!" Babysitting is something that you've grown accustomed to doing during the week, and even on the weekends. If your parents are cool, they would give you some cash after they came back, but most of us are probably not as lucky as you.
3. You become independent really quickly.
Learning to take care of yourself became second nature when you learned how to take care of your siblings. Maybe you got a job as a lifeguard to start paying for the things that you needed for school and paying for gas. Maybe you just finally started doing your homework without your mom reminding you 24/7. Whatever it was, you grew up and you grew up quickly.
4. You get mistaken as their mom/dad when you're out in public.
"Are all of these kids yours?" It's not odd to hear that phrase whenever you're the oldest sibling. It could be at the grocery store, the movies, or even at a restaurant, the "are those your kids?" stare is always the same. Depending on who it is, your response can vary from a passive yes, to a very offended no!
5. You always have the best insults and comebacks during sibling arguments.
Sibling arguments can go from 0 to 100, real quick. Since you know everything about them, you know exactly what pushes their buttons. Their comebacks can never be as awesome as yours, because you're older and smarter. However, if someone else were to say the same things, you'd have no problem being the bodyguard for your siblings. As the oldest sibling, it's also your job to protect them from anything that can do harm. You'd stand up for them in a heart beat.
6. You are the person they come to for advice.
Whether it's choosing what movie to watch, or choosing which present to get their girlfriend for Valentine's Day when they're in kindergarten, your siblings come to you for any and all advice. You are the role model, no matter how much they make fun of your for the things that you do. You are their shoulder to cry on when friends are mean, and the one who helps with their homework. You always want to give them the best advice possible.
7. You don't realize how much they mean to you until you're starting your new life.
When you're at home all of the time with your siblings in your face, it's hard to appreciate them. You're so ready to get out and start your own life, you can take many important things for granted. Once you're out of the house and starting something new, it hits you hard how much you miss being around them. You're worried that maybe something will happen when you're not there, and you can't be the person that they go to. It's totally okay to feel this way, we all do. Your siblings will be fine, because they had you as their older brother/sister.
