If you are the oldest in the family, you know just how much of a blessing and a curse it is. When you're the oldest it means so much more than just being older than everyone else, it means responsibility. So, this goes out to all my oldest siblings in the world who are trying to survive the title of being the oldest in the bunch.
1. Your clothes are everyone's clothes.
This is especially true if you are in a family full of girls who live off of sneaking into your closet and taking the top that you haven't even had a chance to wear yet. Every piece of clothing you own is the property of your siblings and up for the taking, unless you put a padlock on your closet. Half the time the clothes come back stained, ripped or don't even come back at all. This leaves your wardrobe looking like you haven't gone shopping since the 8th grade.
2. You get grounded for everything and your siblings never get grounded.
The parents have this undying urge to ground and discipline you for the littlest things to test out their parenting skills. There is nothing you can get away with since the excuse of "setting a good example for your siblings" is always thrown around. It's the most frustrating thing when your siblings do the same things you did but get away with it over and over again.
3. You were always the first person to blame.
Even if you sibling broke something you got the blame because you "should have been watching them better." No matter what you are the human scapegoat forever and always.
4. You've pulled the most epic pranks on your siblings.
A perk of being the oldest is that you are much wiser than your naive siblings who are gullible to pretty much anything you say. Convincing your siblings they were adopted, trying to sell them, or tricking them into thinking your parents are aliens is all part of the package. I once convinced my sister that she was a test tube baby gone wrong and she believed me for a whole year before asking our parents.
5. You are the ultimate body guard.
No matter what you are the body guard to your siblings till the day you die. You have the responsibility of stepping in when Facebook drama goes to far and your sibling calls you in for back up. This part of being the oldest is probably the biggest blessing and curse but in the end it always brought you closer to your siblings. No one can mess with your siblings but you.
6. You went through the worst awkward phase and your siblings didn't.
Because you're the oldest, no one was there to tell you that DC shoes and plaid skirts did not go together, colored highlights were cool, and blue eye shadow was on point until you had to painfully claw your way out of your own awkwardness. Your siblings on the other hand had you and some force of nature preventing them from hitting that awkward phase, leaving you to suffer alone as you look back at old middle school photos.
7. Babysitting is your part time job.
You've been forced by your parents to sacrifice your social life to babysit whenever it is needed. You've had to cancel plans because your parents decided to have a date night and someone has to watch the kids. Let's not forget to add that you never get paid for your time spent arguing with your siblings that your the boss and they have to listen to you.
8. You get to watch those pests grow up.
No matter how much you and your siblings tormented each other, it is still amazing to watch them grow into the people they are supposed to be (with a lot of help from you). The time goes by so fast when yesterday they were five years old and throwing tantrums, to being a teenager who raids your closet and has a real life besides tormenting you. It's bittersweet seeing them grow and you almost wish they would stay small forever.
Being the oldest obviously sucks most of the time, but it is also the most rewarding title. No one can really understand what it's like to be the oldest unless they already are because it's such a crazy job. But overall, the best thing is that someone is always looking up to you no matter what.