1. You often find yourself babysitting - and enjoying it.
Let's face it, you don't completely despise giving the rest of your family a break by letting them hang with you. Yeah, they can be pretty hard to handle sometimes, but it comes with the territory.
2. You have the BEST jam sessions in the car.
Kids Bop and Disney soundtracks are always at the top of your search history. There is nothing better than looking in your rear-view mirror and seeing your little buddy dancing and singing along in the backseat.
3. "Aw, is this your brother?"
Although you do get the occasional "mom" question, the "sister" one is definitely more common. You constantly find yourself saying "No, he's my cousin."
4. As they get older, you slowly start to see that they're turning into a mini version of you.
All of a sudden, they hit a certain age, and start doing and saying things that you remember doing when you were little. They pout like you did, beg like you did, and even throw a tantrum like you used to (attitude included).
5. You think your friends might like them more than they like you.
They are with you when you hang out with your friends, and they even beg you to let them snapchat your friends with a funny filter. Eventually, your friends love the little one almost as much as you do.
6. Every birthday and new school year makes you feel really, really old.
They turn 5, 6, then 7, and before you know it, the kid is sitting in your backseat telling you that girls are chasing him around the playground at school trying to kiss him and be his girlfriend. You quickly realize that by the time they're the age you are now, you'll be almost 30.
7. You bite your tongue a lot and let them keep believing that 1st grade is the toughest grade ever.
Even though you're a junior in high school suffering in AP classes and countless extracurricular activities, you don't say anything when they complain about the 10 minutes worth of homework they have because you know that their time will come one day where they realize that they should have cherished 1st grade while they had it.
8. You realize the second they are born that you will do whatever you have to in order to make sure they have the best life they can, and you would fight tooth and nail to keep them out of danger.
There is nothing you want more in life than for them to be happy. If someone hurts them, you have to physically restrain yourself to keep from going after them right back. You love seeing them smile and hate seeing them cry.
9. You goof off with them everywhere you go, but you also reel them back in when it's time to be serious.
You throw toys at each other in Walmart and have the biggest tickle fights, but the second they start acting out or begin doing something they aren't supposed to, your authority surfaces and you give them "the look" that they knows means "listen to me, or else."
10. Best. Hugs. Ever.
That's all. Speaks for itself, doesn't it?
11. You aren't ashamed to say that a 7 year old is your best friend and your favorite person ever.
Of course, you have a best friend your age (the same one that likes the kid more) that you can talk with about the "big kid stuff," but that little one is where you see the best parts of yourself (and the parts of you that annoyed your family when you were younger). They give you advice (wanted or not) on everything in your life, from flirting to get a boyfriend (yes, the kid told me to "just flirt") to where to get food from. They read your mind and always know what to say to both make you happy and get on your nerves.
