Why being the oldest sibling is actually the best

Since I have a 17 year old brother and a 14 year old sister, I know firsthand the perks of being the oldest child.

Here are some facts that make being the oldest child, the best child.

You are the first to do many things

Being the first to experience something comes with power. Since you are almost always the first child to do something, you gain experience and insight that your younger siblings do not have. Even though you might have been the guinea pig of the family, you were still the first to experience it. That fact comes with a sense of pride because you knew something before your younger siblings.

Not only were you the first child to get a cell phone, drive a car and attend college, but you were also the first to know the truth about the tooth fairy.

You learn to be very protective

You feel it is your unofficial job to protect your younger siblings. If someone is ever mean to them, you automatically jump to their defense and destroy whomever hurt them. No one is allowed to upset your siblings except for yourself.

You always have someone to hang out with

And you always get to choose what you do when you hang out. Whether you want to play Mario Kart, bake or watch a movie, you always have someone to do an activity with.

This perk is definitely seen when you are on a family vacation, as your parents might not want to go on a rollercoaster or do lake activities. That is when your younger siblings come into the picture – of course they would want to do an activity with their oldest and coolest sibling.

You were always put “in charge” as a kid when your parents were not around

So basically your parents named you the most responsible and trustworthy child ever since a very young age. Although constantly being put “in charge” probably pissed off your younger siblings, you were happy with your parents’ decision.

Not only were you selectively handed more power than your siblings, but that power has helped you become a leader in other aspects of your life. This sense of leadership will stick with you forever.

You have an excuse to watch kid shows

As you get older, it is kind of expected that you stop watching kid shows on TV, such as programs aired on Disney Channel. However, if you have younger siblings, kid shows will always be playing in the house.

So, if your younger sibling is watching a disney channel show, why not join them? Having younger siblings provides you with the opportunity to reminisce about old shows while spending quality time with your siblings. Believe it or not, but if you have done that, you were multitasking!

Your siblings look up to you

It might be that you are the tallest, so naturally your younger siblings do look up to you. But, that is not the only way your siblings do look up to you. If they are experiencing something for the first time, they might look to you for guidance. You are their built-in role model. You are the person they want to impress.

With that being said, you are always notified when a younger sibling scores a basket in a game or scores high on a test. You are also the only person your younger siblings trust to keep secrets from mom and dad. So, if they find the hidden halloween candy or if they get a poor grade on a test, you are the first to know.

You get to watch your younger siblings grow into young adults

It is such a crazy, yet beautiful thing.