Growing up with four older siblings is hard, especially when there is a huge age gap. I can recall multiple fights with my siblings over ridiculous things. Tears were shed because your favorite show was never the priority. Screams were heard because you thought your sibling was literally going to harm you.But one thing that I haven’t realized until now is how much of a blessing they are to me now. Don’t get me wrong there are still times I want to scream at them, but I know that when I need help they will always be there for me.

1. Food is not safe.

You learn the hard way at an early age that food is not safe in the house. When I was growing up I would be so excited to get my own Happy Meal from Mc Donald’s. But my heart was shattered when I would see my big brother come along and say, “Oh, what do we have here?”, and he reached his grimy hands and steal a chicken nugget. You think that as you get older that maybe some form of respect would start to show, but you’re left with endless half bites taken out of your food with your name on it.

2. You are constantly corrected.

Going through the changes of life is hard enough as it is, but having four other people telling you what to do just makes it worse. Your actions are under the biggest microscope in the world with all your siblings to view. If I had a dollar for every time my oldest sister corrected me I could put America out of debt. The ultimate outcome is you yelling at them to shut up, or promising never to speak to them again, but five minutes later you’re talking as if nothing happened.

3. Hand-me-downs can be a blessing or a curse.

It’s a special time for someone when their parents stop dressing them and they can pick out their own clothes, but when you have four other siblings and two of them being sisters you are kind of left with what they have. Now, this can either be taken two ways: you can either have a sibling with amazing taste or with the most horrendous fashion since Lady Gaga and her meat dress. Either way, you’re stuck with what they have. Sometimes the clothes don’t even fit you! You are left with Marty McFly arms or with Tom Hanks in Big with his shrunken shirt.

4. You are the butler in the family.

You learn the art of servitude when you have older siblings. What this job entails is that whenever your siblings need something you are there to get it for them. There are countless times where I must be the one to get the waiter’s attention, or having to scratch someone’s back. And when you don’t do it you get a lecture on how you are so ungrateful and you never appreciate anything anyone does for you. And no matter how many times you roll your eyes and say “This is the last time I’m doing this”, there you go getting a napkin for them.

5. You are embarrassed....a lot.

Not only do you have to worry about your parents embarrassing you around people, but your siblings get the joy of that job as well. I used to pray that my brother wouldn’t be home when I was ready to have friends over at my house. It is pretty much in the older sibling handbook that you should embarrass the younger sibling. You sit in pain and cringe as your family tells the most embarrassing stories of how you still sleep with the light on and listen to the laughs of your friends at your own shame. You think that as you get older the stories will stop, but they just get more embarrassing.

6. You have someone looking out for you.

One of the things should never underestimate is the loyalty of your sibling. As soon as you have a problem or someone has hurt you, your sibling is ready to take names. Putting aside all differences, your sibling is there to take care of you. You always have someone to talk to about problems. I remember being upset because some guy broke my heart, but my sisters would be the ones taking me to Mc Donald’s trying to fill my heart with salty goodness.

7.You build a thicker skin.

Since I am super sensitive, this one took longer for me to achieve. I still get hurt by some of the things that my siblings say to me, but I know that in the end, it will help me develop a back bone. I can always count on my sister to be my toughest critic. Whenever she corrects me I know that I will either take it gracefully, or I will start to become a blubbering mess. I didn’t know it at the time, but when my brothers would make fun of me, it taught me how to take jokes. You don’t know why they do the things they do, but it helps you develop a tolerance to emotional pain.

8. Not matter what......you love them.

Even though things may be thrown around the room or words of regret are spewed, you will always love your sibling. You love when they come home and you get to watch Netflix together. You love the times where you go get food and talk about life. You miss when they leave the house and start to do their own thing. You may not see eye to eye all the time, but you know that as soon as one of you needs something, you’ll be there for each other.