You’re the test kid
Just like every other experience you’ve had with your siblings, being the oldest child means being the one that gets to test everything out first. This can be good and bad. Good because you get to set the bar, you get to explore and create your own future, you get to do it first. But it can also be really scary, as you’re essentially going in blind. “The unknown” is very tough to adjust to at first, but in the end we all make it to the other side. You’ll find role models to help you along the way, but what’s even cooler is that you’ll become one for your younger sibs.
You’re the life of the party
Every time you come home and there’s a family gathering, all of your aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents have to battle it out for who gets the most of your attention. You’ve been away for so long! Everything at home has mostly stayed the same, but your world is completely new. They want to hear all about it, every detail.
People are literally throwing money at you
Well, that’s an overstatement. But now that you’ve gone off to college your grandparents or even your parents always want to spoil you a little. They don’t have to spend money on you all the time anymore like they did when you lived at home. You’re independent, but maybe not too independent… you’re still your parents’ baby and they want to take care of you!
You’re the one they go to for advice
You’re the big sibling! Of course your younger siblings are always going to go to you for advice, but especially advice about college. When do I register for the SATs? What colleges should I tour? What kind of storage should I buy? How am I going to make friends? These are just a few of the many questions your family will come to you with. But you know all the tips and tricks. You went through it first, so you’ve got it all figured out (well, at least the easy stuff).
So much love comes your way
Even if you normally wouldn’t have seen your grandma between the months of January and March, you can surely expect a text message on a random day before spring break saying how much she misses you and how she can’t wait to see you soon. It doesn’t matter who you are, where you go to school, or what people back home say, I promise you your family misses you just as much (if not more) as you miss them. And all they want to do is tell you it!
You’re definitely killing it
Come on, you’re the oldest kid. You’ll always seize the opportunities in front of you head on. You’ve made it this far and you’re doing great! Don’t worry if you’ve had some slip ups here and there. Sometimes the mistakes you make first are the ones that your siblings learn the most from. And yeah, sometimes it sucks to have to learn something the hard way, but maybe that’s what makes us older siblings work so hard and do so well. We do the best that we can to carve out a little path for ourselves and the younger ones to follow. Of course they’ll make their own paths, too. But they’ll always have yours to come back to.
Photo sources:
Source one: http://replygif.net/i/756.gif
Source two: https://media.tenor.co/images/1768a9d6cd3eca522da26163eff9006f/tenor.gif
Source three: https://www.pexels.com/photo/money-pink-coins-pig-9660/
Source four: Me
Source five: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hands-heart-love-305530/
Source six: https://media.giphy.com/media/ClcWrARkrq1GM/giphy.gif