I love being the oldest child. Being a big brother to three younger brothers is great. But I have to use the term “big” somewhat loosely, because I am now shorter than all three of my younger brothers. There are too many reasons why I love being the oldest child, so I decided to give you my top five.
1. You get to watch your younger siblings grow up.
I remember when my youngest brother was nearly a foot shorter than me. Now, he towers over me. It's kind of sad to see him not be so little anymore, but that's just part of life. In addition to height, my brothers have also matured throughout the years and have turned out to be pretty awesome.
2. You’re their biggest supporter in anything your siblings do.
I’m their biggest fan at sporting events. I try to make it to every event that I can, and no one cheers louder for my brothers than I do. I jump up when they score a goal, I high-five other fans when they make a shot, and I get more excited than they do when they win. I’m also proud when they make the honor roll and get good grades on tests. I’m fascinated with their artistic and woodworking abilities. My brothers are very talented individuals, and I love to support them.
3. You learn to be responsible.
Being the oldest means that you were “in charge” when mom and dad weren’t around. It also meant that you had to cook dinner and babysit on numerous occasions. All of these situations helped me to become a more responsible person. It has also caused me to worry more about them, but I know at the end of the day that they'll be just fine.
4. Your siblings come to you for advice.
Whenever my siblings need help, they know that they can come to me for advice. We can talk about anything from family, sports, grades, classes, work or anything else that is happening in their lives. And I know I can go to them for help too. It's comforting to know that we always have each others' backs.
5. You become closer with your family, especially your parents.
It may not be an oldest child thing, but as I've gotten older, I've realized that people come and go in your life. That's okay. I've also realized that family is forever. Even though I live farther away from my family members, we have somehow gotten closer to one another. I remember in high school that I didn't like to be around my parents on the weekends. Now, I have no problem hanging out with them on a Saturday night.
