Being the oldest sibling is a big responsibility, but it's one of my favorite things in the world. It comes with both it pros and cons. You are the person your younger siblings look up to but also the trial run for your mother and father's parenting skills. There are many things they will do right, but also things they will do wrong. They're only human after all.

Being the oldest means you get to do everything first. You lose your teeth first, you ride a bike and drive a car first, you're the first one to date and to graduate. You get to do things that you're younger siblings don't and when they ask why they hear "they're the oldest so they can". Being able to do things you're younger siblings couldn't, was always a great feeling. When you got to stay up later than them it was the best feeling in the world. Then all of a sudden they're staying up as late as you are at a much younger age and you start to get mad. Slowly you'll start to notice that although you got to do many things first they are doing them at much younger age than you ever did.

They stay up later, they start eating junk food and drinking soda younger, they're talking about boyfriends in elementary school, they're curfew is later and they get away with a lot more than you ever did. You'll hear how them talk back to your parents and think to yourself "if I ever talked to them like that I'd be grounded for a week." When they get their license you'll pay attention to how often they get gas money and wonder if you're tank was filled even half as often as theirs. You'll get mad and you'll get jealous

You'll start to realize that your parents were the toughest on you and more lenient on your siblings. You may hate it but it turned you into the responsible self-sufficient individual that you are today. You have to learn not to care that you're siblings get away with murder and that you had way more responsibility at their age. Being the first born turned you into the responsible, protective, cautious older sibling that you are today and that is something to be proud of.

There is no better feeling in the world than having people look up to you and rely on you. You are their built in support system and they are yours. Being the oldest sibling is both a blessing and a curse and I wouldn't change it for the world. It is honor to watch my younger siblings grow up before my eyes even if they're doing things I would never have been able to do at their age!