Being the oldest child isn't as great as it sounds. As the first one out of the womb and into the family, there's always a lot of pressure on you, and it won't always be fair. To make things worse, because your parents are new at the whole parenting thing, they learn through you, and through mistakes made in regards to you, how to be better parents. As the experimental child, you get pretty hard hit for breaking a rule, coming home late, or acting out of line. You can only hope that one day, your younger siblings will come to realize how much you had to go through as the oldest child.
1. You had very different standards of living--which might have deprived you of some of the funner things in life.
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2. Your parents were much more lenient on your younger siblings because, let's face it, they were a little burned out from you.
This also partially accounts for why your younger sibling(s) seemed to get away with everything--without any consequences.
3. Your parents learned a lot through trial and error with you.
Note to Self: Don't leave the iron out
...And sometimes, that worked to your benefit.
But mostly you got the short end of the stick with this one.
4. Growing up, you and your siblings always had the same bedtime...but in terms of age, it's been a little unfair to you as the oldest child.
And you had that same bedtime all the way through middle school.
5. You got a little jealous when your parents gave attention to your younger siblings, especially when it was for doing something that you could do better.
It seemed silly that your parents celebrated your younger brother's first steps because, as the oldest sibling, you've been walking for awhile now.
6. Your younger siblings learned through your mistakes.
By watching you get into trouble, your siblings learned what is and isn't acceptable, and how to avoid getting caught.
7. And your parents were extra harsh on you because, as new parents, they had unrealistic expectations.
Second child: stays out till midnight, never gets in trouble.
8. Because your parents had no clue what they were doing, they made a lot of interesting decisions for you.
9. You were constantly told to be the "bigger person" when you and your siblings got into a fight. You always wondered why your younger sibling couldn't be the "bigger person" once in a while.
10. You also got many things like iPods, phones, and computers at the same time--and sometimes, they got it first.
11. In the end, it's okay because you got to set the bar for your siblings to live up to.
And you set that bar as high as you could, just to get back at them.
It's rough growing up as the oldest child, but there are definitely some benefits. Even though you may have gotten things like computers, phones, and iPods at the same time, there are still some age-sensitive privileges that you got to experience first--driving, leaving for college, and being able to work and earn money. As the first child, you also probably loved, and took advantage of, being in charge of your younger siblings when your parents weren't home. These privileges added a definite silver lining to an otherwise difficult situation.
