by Claireen Louise

Created on: March 19, 2007   Last Updated: May 22, 2012

Am I my brother's keeper? - Genesis 4:9

Since the beginning of time there has been sibling rivalry. Brothers and sisters constantly compare, and are aware of who is getting the short end of the stick. As the oldest child myself, one comes to the conclusion that being the eldest is no better than being the youngest and vice versa. Being the oldest has its pros and cons.

Con:

1. Babysitting. If a person's siblings are much younger, they often  get dragged into babysitting. Often the older child does not have a choice, and must stay home with their younger brother(s)/sister(s).

2. Disciplined unfairly. Have you ever heard the phrase, "You are older, so you should know better?" While this is sometimes true, there are other times, however, when it can be unfair. Sometimes older children may be punished a little more harshly than their siblings because of their age.

3. Having to go through all of the hard things in life first. The eldest child often has to be the first to branch out and become their own person. Beginning to date, learning to drive, dying the hair or getting tattoos etc. It is often easier for the babies of the family to do these types of things, because the oldest has already 'paved the way'.

Pros:

1. You get to be bossy. Older children get to be bossy. They understand how things work better than their younger siblings, so they get to tell them how it's done. And often times the younger sibling goes along with it!

2. The older sibling often protects his or her younger sibling. The older sibling is often not intimidated by younger bullies. Protecting your little brother or sister from bullies on the playground is a noble deed, and you are revered as a hero.

3. Being looked up to. It is a wonderful feeling to be looked up to and respected by your younger siblings. Younger siblings often come to their older brother/sister for tips and advice. It is sure a special moment to be able to share your experiences with a younger sibling.

"I think people that have a brother or sister don't realize how lucky they are. Sure, they fight a lot, but to know that there's always somebody there, somebody that's family."  Trey Parker and Matt Stone

There's a lot of agreement with that quote. There are both pros and cons to being the eldest child, but overall the pros far outweigh the cons as it is a joy and a blessing to be a big brother or sister!

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