Growing up as an only child had its perks let me tell you, but when fifth grade rolled around, my whole life changed. If we are being honest here…when I found out I was going to have a little sibling, I was so over it. I forever wanted to be an only child. I did what any rational fifth grader would do, run away. I made it only about two houses down before I figured I was going to get in major trouble.

Little did I know that 21 months after my first brother was born, I would be blessed with ANOTHER ONE. Two little brothers under the age of 3, every middle schooler’s worst nightmare. As we all grew older, I could not imagine my life without my 9 and 7-year-old little minions and we all became best friends. Little brothers are truly a gift from God, even if they annoy you 24/7.

1. Usually, they’ll do anything you tell them to if you offer them a penny.

Oh, I forgot my phone upstairs? No problem, one of them would gladly go get it, if I bribed them with a penny or something of little value. Little brothers can come in handy, sometimes right??

2. They will always be there for you to make you feel better about any situation.

Kids have such a positive outlook on life. Little bros will come tackle you or try to annoy the mess out of you when you are crying or upset.

3. Protecting you is their number one job.

They might be only 4 feet tall, but they will make sure a boy never hurts your feelings again. If you don’t have my brother’s approval, it’s not going to work out.

4. They will teach you to not take life so seriously.

They will laugh at my stresses of school, work, and relationships. That is one thing that is the most valuable lesson these boys have ever taught me. Laugh more, life is not supposed to be stressful all the time. I need to put down the phone or the books and just live a little.

5. Honesty comes naturally to them.

They will let me know if they do not like what I am wearing, or if I should brush my hair. Boys do not sugar coat things like little sisters might do. Little brothers are blunt, sometimes more than they need to be. That is a trait I have picked up, and I am very thankful for that.

6. They are nowhere near as high maintenance as girls are.

They do not want to play dress up, or go get their nails done. Video games, Legos, and playing outside is their cup of tea. Honestly, being surrounded by so many girl-friends, it’s nice to go home and throw a ball around with the little brothers.

7. They’re not scared to get in trouble…ever.

One thing that I have learned from having little brothers is that they are RUTHLESS. They literally have no fear of anything, including getting in trouble. Do they want to tear their rooms apart while playing? Done. Do they want to eat all the candy in the pantry? No questions asked.

8. They look up to you and think you are the coolest big sister ever.

No matter how weird you are or how much you annoy them, at the end of the day they still think you are the coolest human ever.

I wouldn’t trade having little brothers over having little sisters any day. Brothers teach you life lessons sisters wouldn’t. They are your best friends, protectors, family event buddies, and your biggest fans. Yes, boys are gross and annoying, but you will learn many life lessons from those little humans that you never thought you would. Even though everyone thinks they are my own children, I would not trade my significantly younger brothers for anything in the world.