Ten Things Only the Oldest Will Understand

  1. You were the “test child” → Your parents tested all possible parenting styles on you to see what worked. The best was then implemented on your younger siblings.
  2. You always had to be the role model → You’re parents set standards for you (and you probably set some yourself) to be the absolute best athlete, student, and big brother/sister you could be
  3. You were (and in some cases still are) the first babysitter option → Because, hey what parent doesn’t love the idea of a free babysitter?
  4. Once you start driving you become their own personal Uber → except you don’t make money from these customers…
  5. When there was fighting going on, you always took the blame → This is because “You should know better,” and “You’re more mature than them”
  6. You became their personal tutor whether you liked it or not → Who cares if you have hours and hours of Bio, Calc, Lit and Spanish homework? You’re little brother needs help adding up all the apples in the apple tree.
  7. You became a third parent before you were even old enough to drive → Changing diapers? Feeding them bottles? Rocking them asleep? Please, I was doing that at 5 years old.
  8. You had the most rules set → Your curfew at 13: 8:00. Theirs: 10:00 but mom and dad usually fall asleep, so if they come waltzing in the door at 11:30, who is going to know?
  9. Sharing everything you own with them → Your clothes, toys, room, computer, they get All Access Passes to those.
  10. You’ve loved them longer than anybody else has → You’ve watched them grow from a screaming newborn, to a toddling toddler, then that annoying pre-adolescent phase and maybe even the teenage years, and you couldn’t be more proud or love them more.