Coming from a family where I am the eldest of three, I recognize the struggles of being the first born. It sucks to always be the guinea pig, your younger siblings will always get more leniency than you did, and I can't even begin to explain the deep rooted struggle of clothes sharing. However, throughout all of these trials and tribulations, it only makes you recognize how much you love your siblings and how different your life would be without them.
1. It will always be your fault.
Regardless of who did what, you are the oldest and therefore you will always take the fall. It doesn't matter if your little brother just broke the neighbor's window with a lacrosse ball because you probably dared him to do it.
2. You are basically a second mom.
Dinner needs to be made? Sister needs a ride to practice? We're out of milk? The big sister will always be the secondary mom. Although I'll be honest, I really enjoy using the self-checkout when I grocery shop.
3. Little sisters assume that all clothing is up for grabs.
I'm confident that this argument is fairly universal among households with sisters. I can go into my younger sister's room and find at least ten different items of mine that have been missing for months, and when I ask why she's had them for so long the response will always be, "but you said I could borrow this."
4. You serve as a free babysitting service...
When a big sister reaches that glorious age of eleven or twelve, I think that every mother rejoices at the thought of no longer having to hire babysitters. Fairly regularly I will tell my parents that I'm going somewhere on a Friday night only to get the response of, "but you're babysitting your siblings tonight." Thanks for the memo Mom and Dad.
5. ...And a free tutoring service.
Why hire an expensive tutor when you have someone that has taking the same classes only a few years earlier? Study time does not end when I finish my homework because my sister will undoubtedly have some question from her seventh grade math worksheet that I can't figure out because honestly I never quite rocked that Pre-Algebra in the first place.
6. You laugh as your younger siblings go through the same awkward middle school years.
I mean this in the nicest way possible, but it is hilarious watching your siblings go through the same ridiculous drama that you went through in middle school having realized how insignificant it is now. OMG. Sarah broke up with Ryan? Stop it. My life is over.
7. You feel a huge need to protect them.
On the flip side, you watch your siblings go through things that you went through like getting cut from a team or being excluded from a birthday party and you don't want them to feel hurt by it.
8. Most importantly, you have little best friends.
Little siblings are the best friends you will ever have. They are always there to back you up when you're in trouble. They're always down to grab lunch or go for a run with you. But best of all, they are some of the only people that you will have with you for the entirety of your life that you can continue to count on regardless of how many mistakes you make.
