Ten Things Only the Oldest Will Understand
- 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.
- 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
- 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?
- Once you start driving you become their own personal Uber → except you don’t make money from these customers…
- 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”
- 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.
- 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.
- 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?
- Sharing everything you own with them → Your clothes, toys, room, computer, they get All Access Passes to those.
- 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.