Things I’ve learned from being 8 years older than my siblings,

There are many things in life that shape you and make you who you are.

For me, I think that one of the main things that formed who I am is my relationship with my siblings. I am both the oldest sibling and the oldest cousin in my family so I am used to being around family that is younger than me. When I was growing up I wished I had siblings my age or even ones older than me.

It’s hard being the oldest and you might wish you had someone to look up to. At times you may feel like being the oldest had some major burdens that came along with it that you didn’t ask for. I hated having to set an example and always looking after the younger kids but now that I am older I’ve come to appreciate all the things about being the oldest that I didn’t before. I am 8 years older than my brother and almost 9 years older than my sister. So here are some thing’s I’ve learned from being 8 years older than my siblings.

I appreciate their innocence. I took my little sister shopping for school supplies a few weeks ago and she sat there pondering which glitter folders to put into the cart. That is her biggest worry, what color glitter folders she wants to get. I would give anything for that to be my biggest concern. Sometimes I look at my brother, who just began middle school, and he is just starting out. He is starting to get his friend group and have his first “girlfriend." I remember being that age and how every little thing seemed like the end of the world and now I appreciate that age and I can give them advice and tell them everything will get better because I know from experience that it will. I mean seriously if you look at middle school me to college me I am not even sure it’s the same person. They are going to change and grow so much and I get to be a part of that I get to witness that rather than have gone through it with them if we were around the same age.

Now I can give them advice and set an example. It is amazing to have someone little look up to you. They have so much time to figure it out but at least I can help them along the way. My sister comes to me all the time with questions and asks for my advice and it makes me so happy. I mean I have almost been alive a decade more than them, so there’s a lot of experiences I’ve had that they probably will have and things I can teach them. And the things you can’t prepare them for like the heartbreaks and the failures, well at least you can be a shoulder to cry on because you’ve been there too.

Watching them grow up is so rewarding. There is nothing better than watching your little siblings take their first steps, kick their first soccer goal, learn to ride a bike and many other firsts that you might miss if you are busy doing your own set of firsts at the same age. I am so lucky to be a part of their lives and watch them grow. And yes, I cried uncontrollably when my mom sent me my little brothers first day of middle school picture and no I am not ashamed.

You’ll have to play mom sometimes. Making them an afterschool snack or having to shuttle them to their friends house may seem like an annoying task but having to take care of someone other than yourself is something that is good for you in the long run. It made me appreciate my siblings so much more, they little tiny people that need our help to survive and that’s actually a pretty cool job.

They might be cooler than you and you have to accept it. Sometimes I look at my siblings and I’m like ‘why are you so cool, I was so awkward and weird at your age’. Maybe that’s just a generation thing, I don’t know. But they are so interesting, just sit down and listen to what they have to say sometimes it might just blow your mind.

You never want them to get older. I cannot even think about watching my little brother graduate high school or my sister going to prom. I still think of them as these annoying toddlers that pulled my hair and left lego’s all over the ground to stab my feet when I walked by. But the truth is they are growing up so fast and I need it to stop.

To me, they will always be my tiny humans and I will always love them.