From a younger sibling’s perspective, being the oldest looks great: the cool older friends, having a car, and getting to grow up first. But being the older sister can be hard work. Sometimes we feel more like the mom than our actual mom. There’s a lot expected of us.
We're the guinea pig.
Being the oldest means being the experiment. We’re the first to drive, first to go to college, first to grow up. Parents don’t have a clue when it comes to their first child, so all of the mistakes are made on us. We don’t have a cool big sis to tell us how to put makeup on, talk to boys, or survive high school. We figured that all out on our own, sometimes failing along the way.
We have most of the responsibilities.
This is one of the main drawbacks of being the oldest. It’s great having a car and going out with friends, but not until the dishes are done, the laundry is folded, and your room is clean. The young ones always seem to get off easy for no reason other than that they’re young.
Even though the title of older sister isn’t all fun and games, there are certain parts that make everything worth it.
We get to be the mentor.
Let’s be real: our younger siblings could never survive without us. After having to learn how to dress ourselves, there’s no way we’re going to let our younger sisters (or brothers) go through the awful middle school phases of cargo shorts and knee-high Converse. We’re also the go-to when it comes to all things "teenager." Can’t solve a math problem? No worries, we’ve got you covered. Can’t tell if someone likes you or not? They probably do, but we’ll analyze their every move just to make sure. We’re like a walking encyclopedia to basically any problem because we’ve been through it all. Having that feeling that your sibling needs you make us feel so important. Plus, it’s not like you can ask Mom for advice on how to kiss someone.
We get to be the cheerleader.
Whether it’s going to their basketball games or congratulating them after acing their English essay, we love to see the younger versions of ourselves find their place and be successful (mostly because we take some of the credit).
We get to show them off.
This is especially useful during their younger years. We all love kids, even when we're still kids
ourselves. There’s nothing like having cute four-year-old twins for all of your friends to drool over. This would often make our house the prime social hangout spot. Even when they've grown up, it’s fun taking our siblings around with us simply because, in a way, they’re our best friends.
Being a big sis can be a handful. There will always be arguments, and sometimes it takes a few blows to the head with a pillow in order to hash it out. But in the end, younger siblings are every older sister’s pride and joy, and nothing will ever replace them.
