What it is like to be an Older Sibling

Let’s face it being the oldest child isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. Sometimes it really
stinks. Your parents are always getting onto you more and letting your younger siblings get
away with more, and everyone always calls them the “cute” one. Growing up, I was always the
big sister. I took on that role with grace, I was happy to help or mentor my siblings at every
opportunity. I loved being a big sister, especially to the younger ones. Now, we’ve all heard the
stereotypes. Firstborns are responsible and mature. The middle child ones are crazy . The
youngest are the spoiled and favorite one. From my experience, this tends to be more true than
not.
Almost everything will be your fault and your responsibility, because “you’re older and know
better.” Another burden is the way you’re expected to set an example for the younger ones.
“Don’t have a boyfriend”, “Don’t swear”, “Don’t stay out late what will your siblings think?”. Not
that I did these things, I knew I wanted to be a good example and put this pressure on myself as
much as my parents did. This constant pressure to be perfect bled into my life. I’m not saying
that these are bad things. I actually do think that having the pressure of being a good example
has helped me set my standard. It’s helped me learn to be responsible, try hard in school, and
be ambitious in my life. It’s helped me be independent and know how to do things without relying
on the support of others.
Being the oldest does come with its downsides. Although being the oldest is fun and all, it does
have its disadvantages. Being the oldest is you get stuck with the worst responsibility, At the
age of 14, I was the one raising my siblings, I was the one who budgeted the money, I did the
grocery shopping and I also prepared our food because our mother was going to work abroad
and our father was in Manila and they were separated. It was hard for me to balance my time,
for school and chores and any other responsibility that I have. Sometimes I just cry because I
thought I couldn't handle all the responsibilities given to me, but I did. So I'm proud of myself
But there’s advantages. First ,I am the assertive one, As the first born, I had to interact with my
mother in a way that my younger siblings never did. I can say what’s my opinion in every
situation happening in the house and anything. Second, I help out my mother the responsibility I
feel for myself as an adult also likely bleeds over into a sense of responsibility for my loved
ones. They say "First born tend to have a greater sense of responsibility to others, are more
empathetic, more observant of parental distress and want to fix and repair situations". And a
having sibling that look up to you, respect you, listen to you, care for you, and understand you,
is the best feeling ever.
My siblings are all so different, and I learn as much from them as I hope they learn from me. I
admire the way that they live life with lower stress. They enjoy spending their hard earned money
and indulging in the things they love. Those are the kind of things that I wish I did more of. My
siblings really are my best friends and I don’t know what I would do without them.