Being an oldest child is one of the best gifts life could give me. I have two younger siblings, and I have always felt so bad for them — they will never get to feel and experience things in the same amazing way I have.
Now, what is so great about being the oldest child you may ask?
As the firstborn, I am the first to reach each milestone. I love the pressure of knowing I am a constant example for my brothers, and even younger cousins — everything I do is being watched by not only my parents, but grandparents, aunts, and uncles. It is an honor really, to have my choices constantly examined by everyone.
“All my choices seem to be immediately known by everyone. Like when I try out for something, or do well on a test, it is the center of conversation. It’s great feeling so special, everyone always wants to talk about me,” said Micheal Burke, another oldest child. “Sometimes I try to direct the conversation to someone else but it always comes back to me in the end.”
Being the oldest kid in the group also means being in a fun in-between stage. I love always acting as the babysitter for the family, but not fitting in with the adults. Never knowing whether to sit at the kids or adults table. It is always exciting, being only partly in each group, and never really belonging to either.
“When I watch my younger sisters, brothers, and cousins, everything is on me. Doesn’t matter if it was someone else’s fault, I am responsible if something breaks or someone gets hurt,” said oldest child Emmerson Chadwick. “I do like feeling kind of powerful, where every action I make could affect the others.”
People often think that the youngest child gets away with more than other siblings. “Half the things my younger siblings can do would have never been allowed when I was their age,” said Burke.
While this may seem unfair, it actually means that parents just do not care as much. By their last kid, parents are too tired to really restrict and monitor them. So, in reality, they are not treating their younger children better! The oldest ones should really feel grateful for the strict rules their parents enforce on them — these rules obviously show the oldest children that they are the parents’ favorites.
Overall, being the oldest child comes with so many perks. Being the role model, the leader, and always being subjected to “constructive criticism” by all family members is just a few blessings.
Hi! My name is Gretchen and I am a senior editor and SEO editor for The Mycenaean. I love to travel and listen to music.