10 Signs You're Most Definitely the Oldest Child in Your Family

Updated on 4/9/2019 at 12:15 AM

As the oldest of three children, there's no denying the perks that come with the title: you're the first one to push your parents' boundaries, you get to be the first one to try things, and, hey, bossing around your siblings is pretty fun. And while the pros of being the oldest certainly outweigh the cons for me, sometimes I can't help but be jealous of all the things my brother and sister got away with back in the day. Does this sound like you? Then keep reading to get a look at the tried-and-true signs that anyone with younger siblings can relate to, and enjoy a good chuckle in the process.

You've never gotten away with anything. Ever.

Although getting to take a stab at tennis lessons or Mario Kart before anyone else was something to be proud of, it does seem like the oldest kid never gets away with anything. Like anything. Failed your math test? Expect a lecture. Clock your sister in the head with a Wiffle ball bat? You might as well walk yourself to timeout. The bottom line: you might get to do everything first, but as soon as trouble starts brewing, run for the hills!

Your stuff always mysteriously goes missing.

Having younger siblings guarantees your stuff will be missing more than it's actually in the spot that you left it. And if you're a female with a little sister lurking around, expect all your clothes to be MIA as soon as they come out of the laundry. While we certainly don't mind sharing, every older sibling knows that pure rage that overcomes you when you log on to social media to see your sister wearing a shirt they claimed "they hadn't seen in forever." Eye-roll.

You've bribed your siblings so they wouldn't tell on you.

Remember doing full-on WWE SmackDown reenactments in your parents' living room when you were little? Like clockwork, it would eventually get too rough and someone would end up in tears. Thankfully, all you had to do was offer to clean your siblings' rooms for a month or "not tell on them the next time they did something" to stay out of the dog house.

You've pulled the "oldest sibling card" more times than you can count.

Any time you wanted to watch a particular show on TV, take the Barbie jeep for a spin, or be a certain character in dress-up, all you had to say was, "But I'm the oldest!" to get your way. Would your parents occasionally step in to shake things up every once in a while? Sure, but nine times out of 10 you got to be Princess Ariel.

You've been called bossy more than once.

When you have younger brothers or sisters, being in charge just comes with the territory. After all, you had less-experienced, built-in sidekicks who were willing to take orders most of the time! Obviously, wielding that type of power early on in life has an effect on people and may or may not exactly wear off. So have I been called bossy my fair share of times over the years? You bet!

You have a slew of embarrassing stories about your brothers and sisters.

Regardless of your birth order, it's no secret that kids say and do the darndest things, but as the oldest child, your memory might serve you a little better in most cases. Remember when your brother locked himself in a portable toilet at a soccer tournament for so long, you thought that the National Guard was going to have to come get him out? It's those hilarious situations that always make the oldest kid chuckle when they think back to their childhood.

You're used to people copying you.

You know what they say: imitation is the best form of flattery, and your siblings ladled it on thick. As soon as you got a denim skirt from Abercrombie & Fitch, your little sister waltzed into your room days later with the very same thing. It's also no surprise that many siblings are involved in the same extracurricular activities — the oldest sibling made playing lacrosse look so dang cool.

Once you got your driver's license, you became an unpaid chauffeur.

The moment those car keys landed in your hand, you were immediately in charge of taking your younger siblings to and from pretty much everything. While waiting around for them to finish up with soccer practice could be a bit of a drag, making those secret ice cream stops on the way home are memories you'll never forget!

You're very overprotective of them.

Of course, the oldest sibling has free range when it comes to teasing the younger ones. But if a non-family member tries to join in, forget it! No one is mean to our siblings other than, well, the oldest child, so back off!

You're always there for them, no matter what.

As you get older, you're there for more serious and important life moments, whether it's talking through your brother's college decision or helping your sister find the least expensive car insurance. At the end of the day, you'd do anything for your younger siblings, no matter how much of a pain in the butt they've been in the past.

Siblings