Growing up as the eldest sibling had its benefits. I was the first to go to a school dance, first to get my drivers license and, most importantly, the first to go off to college. Although being the oldest is fun and all, it does have its disadvantages.
- The first disadvantage of being the oldest is you get stuck with the worst chores like the dishes, trash duty and caring for the landscaping.
- Next, we have the expectations you have to abide by. As the oldest you are held to a higher standard because your younger siblings look up to you as the role model.
- The third disadvantage is once you turn 16 years old and get your license you are officially your brother and/or sisters personal driver. Really with all honesty, your parents are probably more excited about you driving now because now they don’t have to drive you and the family around all the time.
- Up next we have the fact that all first borns are the first to be blamed for EVERYTHING. Every single time something goes wrong you can just assume that you will be the first to be blamed.
- Not only are you the oldest child in the house, you are also the guaranteed babysitter that all parents dream of. It really doesn’t matter if you have plans or not, if your parents have plans or the desire to go out they will make you stay ad watch the rest of the children.
- The sixth disadvantage of being the oldest is the fact that all your mistakes are constantly brought up by your parents because they want the rest of the kids to learn from all of your mistakes. Your parents will never let you live anything down because you are the example.
- As the oldest you don’t get any privacy. Parents are always concerned about what you are up to, who you are with, when you're coming home and so much more. On top of your parents giving you no privacy, your younger siblings always want to be around you or doing something with you. I have learned that younger siblings love nothing more than hanging out with you and your friends. Little kids just find the older crowd so fascinating and it's like they just can’t stay away.
- As the older sibling, you are always concerned about your young predecessors. You always worry about who your brother or sister is hanging with, what they are doing with their friends, whether or not they secretly are in a relationship and so much more. Instinctively, you want to be the first to know what’s going on with your sibling, so you can either help them with whatever situation they are possibly in or you can protect yourself from the wrath of your parents once they figure out what is going on.
