Growing up, being the oldest meant seniority. If you were the oldest sibling that meant you could boss around your younger brothers and sisters. If you were the oldest friend that mean you had some sort of advantage in terms of knowledge. Being the oldest as a kid is a lot different than being the oldest as an adult, but here are some tell-tale signs you grew up as the oldest kid.
1. Your parents were the hardest on you
As the first born, you set a precedent for your parents and their future kids. This means you probably got disciplined the hardest and had the most restrictions in your life. While this is perfectly normal, it was always a rude awakening when your younger sibling got a phone in 6th grade when you weren't allowed to have one until 8th grade before you did, or were allowed to stay home alone years before you were.
2. You became the designated babysitter
When you're the oldest child, you become the go-to babysitter for your siblings as well as the young kids in your extended family. This means tons of extra cash just for spending time with your family, or a neighbor. Sometimes it can be exhausting, especially at a big get together when you're expected to keep an eye on all the children while the parents hang out, but in the long run it's pretty rewarding to have babysitting as a side business.
3. Your style was always copied
Your little siblings adored you and thought you were the coolest. They would copy everything that you did, from your involvement in sports to your personal style. It got real annoying, especially when you handed down clothes to them or they stole the ones you were currently wearing. You knew you were cool, you just didn't understand why they needed to copy everything you do.
4. You achieve the milestones first
First to get your license, first to graduate high school, and first to be a legit adult. All these milestones set you apart from your younger siblings and therefore make you a boss in every way.
5.You had inside jokes with your parents
You knew all about Santa and the Easter Bunny waaaayy before your brothers and sisters did. In addition to growing out of things, you and your parents began to have more in common. This meant inside jokes only you and your parents get. You felt super cool having this above your baby siblings. Sometimes you got to help them do "parent" things and that was the coolest of all.
6. You were forced to chauffeur your siblings around
It seems like once you got your license, a symbol of freedom, you were then forced to be a one-woman limo service for your siblings. After a long day, there is nothing newly licensed kids love more than swinging by the elementary school to take their sister or brother to soccer practice.
7. You felt obliged to look out for them
As the older sibling, you took it upon yourself to look out for your baby siblings. Since you were essentially the first kid to go through everything, you have tons of wisdom to impart on them. You know all the ins and outs of growing up and you don't want them out there sullying your family's good name.
8. Seeing them grow up is super weird
Watching your siblings go through everything that you did is sad, but also kind of cool. You've made all your scary decisions and now it's time to wait and see what they decide for themselves. You feel older than old watching them complete the milestones but you know in the end, they will make the right choice. Mostly because they had you to guide them through it.
