A bond between siblings is like no other. Just as friendships are different, so are relationships amongst brothers and sisters. Thanks to Dr. Alfred Adler, research on birth order has shown the many personality types between the oldest, middle, and youngest child. Being the oldest of three girls, I've had my fair share of benefits and drawbacks. That being said, here's what I've learned about what it's like.
The oldest is normally the leader.
I've always felt that sort of responsibility, as my sisters are 4 and 5 years younger than me. So yeah, being the first and only child for a few years put a lot of my parents' attention towards me. Not that having younger siblings is a bad thing, but it's definitely different for me than it is for them.
You got away with nothing, while they basically got away with murder.
As the oldest, our parents probably were pretty unsure of how to, well, be parents. For example, staying out 15 minutes past curfew resulted in getting your car taken away for 2 weeks. Younger siblings? Forget it, curfews don't exist.
You always have to "set the example".
While our younger siblings are perfectly capable of making their own decisions and being responsible for their actions, we are still somehow responsible for their mistakes.
You set the rules of the house.
This was cool until you realize that your parents were just extra strict with you.
People expect the absolute most of you.
Because we're automatically put into that "leader" role, we are usually expected to be nothing short of perfect.
Your friends became their friends.
Whenever your friends came over, your parents forced you to let your siblings join so they wouldn't feel left out.
You never get the hand-me-downs.
This is a pretty positive thing until you realize you have to buy ALL your own clothes.
Type A personality.
If there was a concrete definition, it would be us.
Your parents blamed you for EVERYTHING.
Even if it wasn't your fault.
You had to keep certain things on the down low.
Santa. The Easter bunny. The tooth fairy. Making sure you didn't tell your siblings the truth about them was beyond difficult.
No matter what, you always had to share.
Your toys, your books, your bed, your room, the list is endless.
You got a lecture for every incident.
While our siblings were excused and got to go play.
The amount of times you had to "watch" them is astounding.
Whether Mom had to go do the laundry or Dad had to cook, you were in charge of your siblings. And sometimes, it wasn't so bad.
After all that, we still protect our younger siblings.
When you get your first boyfriend/girlfriend, you better believe we'll be at the door full of questions and crossed arms. Even though you guys are a pain, we still love you.
Basically, being the oldest has times where it completely sucks but also times where it's extremely rewarding. I mean, come on, we were born first to take all the hits from our parents for you guys! What's better than that?
