10 Things You Learn Growing Up As the Oldest Sibling

Are you the oldest sibling? There are advantages and disadvantages to being the oldest sibling, from getting brand new clothes to getting told off for your younger sibling’s mistakes.

Check out 10 things you learn when you grow up as the oldest sibling.

1. Hand-Me-Downs Were Not A Problem For You

There are some good parts to being the eldest sibling, and one of them was getting brand new toys and clothes. If you wanted something, you got the newest version – and when you grew out of it or got bored of it, it went to the next youngest sibling as a hand-me-down.

They complained to your parents that it wasn’t fair, but you were too busy playing with your new toys to back them up.

2. You Were A Reluctant Role Model

You looked up to pop stars and your parents, while your younger siblings looked up to you. It was a lot of pressure, considering you were a child too – especially when they did something wrong and you got the blame. You didn’t want to be a role model; you just wanted to play in peace!

3. Your Parents Were Strictest With You

You couldn’t date until you were 18, but your siblings started dating at 16. You had to make sure you were home for 9PM on the dot, but your siblings just had to make sure they were home before midnight. Not that it really mattered – if you wanted to go somewhere, you would pester your parents for hours until they reluctantly agreed.

4. You Understand The Importance Of Being Bossy

Since you’re just as likely to get in trouble as your little sister when she did something wrong, you developed eagle-eyed vision to check that they were behaving.

Normally it would play out like this; you catch your little sister putting on your mom’s make-up, so you would yell at her not to use mom’s make-up – and then your mom would yell at you for making your little sister cry. Sigh.

5. When You Passed Your Driving Test, You Became A Free Taxi

You patiently waited for years to get your driver’s license. You took your lessons diligently, and practised at home with your parents. Finally you passed your test and got a second-hand you loved – only to immediately become a taxi driver for your younger siblings. The worst part? They never paid you!

6. You Were The Family Guinea Pig

Your parents were first time parents when you were born, and they really wanted to make sure they did it right. They tried all kinds of weird and wonderful parenting techniques on you – most which involved being strict and sticking their ground. They got bored of this just in time for your other siblings to arrive, when they decided to be more relaxed and carefree. Thanks, guys.

7. You Feel Old When You Think About How Old Your Siblings Are

It doesn’t bother you when you think about your own age, but whenever you think about your sibling’s age you feel seriously old. You can remember when your siblings were wearing nappies, and now they talk to you about politics – so weird.

8. A Free Babysitter Is Better Than One Who Costs

You had a babysitter when you were little, but your parents saw the chance to save some money when you grew older. You regularly babysat your siblings for free, and while you may have complained at the time, you secretly loved it – after all, who wouldn’t love eating all the best snacks and telling your siblings what to do?

9. You Are Protective Over Your Siblings

Despite the fact that they always got you in trouble, you love your siblings more than anyone else in the world. You feel grateful to share their lives and honoured that they considered you a role model.

10. You’re More Capable Than You Thought You Were

Being the oldest sibling deserves some credit; you had to test our parent’s weird parenting skills, and you were the first person that your younger siblings turned to when they were in trouble. Oldest siblings are capable, calm and collected – which isn’t really that surprising when you think about it. Hurray for being an oldest sibling!