Growing up ain’t easy, especially when you are the only sibling. There is all this pressure to follow in your parents’ footsteps and be the amazing business mogul or brain surgeon or something. However, I’m speaking from a much different perspective. I am speaking from a perspective that may have even more pressure than being an only child to successful parents.

That is, being the oldest of a few children. I grew up with three younger brothers so I don’t know much about being an only child, but I do know that with siblings comes responsibility. Parents may not even consciously notice the responsibility that is put on the first-born child once younger siblings are brought into the family.

As soon as your baby brother or sister takes his/her first breathe, your life has now been changed forever. You will (most likely) no longer have your own bathroom for the remainder of time you’ll be living with your parents. Like it or not, your life actually has a purpose. As soon as that first breath is taken you instantly become the trial-and-error baby. The baby that the parents are actually learning how to be parents. The baby that may grow up to be a little messed up in the head, but hey you grew up to be a tougher and smarter person because of it!

You are more than just that though. There is a connection between two siblings that no one on this green Earth can describe with the correct words. However, I think anyone can agree to a few things.

Maybe not right at first, but anyone with siblings will tell you that because of their brother(s)/sister(s) they learned the value of sharing and compromise early on in life. You know how in sororities people say, “Little gets what little wants”? Well the same logic applies for real-life sibling relationships as well. Everyone knows that the baby of the family is always the one to get spoiled the most. Face it; you are no longer their main focus. In fact, your parent’s now expect you to be the type of person you would want to look up to, because you are now a role model to your younger siblings. No pressure though.

Being the oldest sibling means you are going to make mistakes, and you are going to teach your little brother or sister something your parents most likely don’t want you to…or better yet, they even know that you know something like that. It also means that from a very early age, you are taught the fundamentals of what it means to be a leader. Less we forget that when the ‘rents are out, YOU are the designated “boss” for the time being. That has to count for something, right?

Growing up the oldest is a blessing in disguise. Looking from an outside perspective, one may call us the, “trial-and-error kids.” We are so much more than that though; (as I previously stated) we are the leaders. We are the advice givers to our younger siblings on how to keep mom and dad happy. We are the trendsetters for the family. We pave the way for what the future of our family name will represent.

Most importantly, we are idols. I don’t even know your family, but I can guarantee your younger siblings look up to you way more than what you even realize. We are the ones setting the bar for our siblings, so I say set that bar as high as you can reach. Make your youngest sibling have to climb mountains to surpass everyone else in the family, not to prove to anyone how great you are, but to show your siblings exactly how to create the best life for themselves.

Being an older sibling comes with responsibilities that go unseen on a daily basis. What we learn from having younger siblings can sometimes seem so much like instinct that we don’t realize how much we have learned over the years just from our family. There are countless rewards that come with being the oldest sibling, and I for one wouldn’t have it any other way.