People SAY that all babies are created equal, but let's just admit what we're all thinking - the first ones are the best.
Eldest siblings are brighter, better with adults, more ambitious, and generally just a greater joy to be around (right mum and dad?). Sure, middle and youngest children have their achievements, but we'll never quite understand why our parents tried to improve on the perfection they created first time round.
Here are 17 undeniable reasons why being the eldest sibling is essentially winning at life...
1. You're the cleverest
This is genuinely true and has been proven. BY SCIENCE. A 2013 study showed that the first child born into a family tends to perform better in school. They also have higher IQs and are considered to be more accomplished than their parents. Yeah. Take that, spoiled youngest.
2. You're a natural born leader
According to psychiatrist Alfred Adler, being an eldest sibling generally gives you a natural flair for leadership, and this tends to reflect in their role at work. Basically, you're the most successful one in your family (of course).
3. You're the most impressive to your parents
From first word, first step, first day at school all the way through to graduation. All very exciting when baby number one does them. Baby number three? Sorry, been there, done that.
4. There are LOADS more baby pictures of you
And you got to make a cameo in everyone else's. CHEESE!
5. You NEVER had to wear a hand-me-down
Your wardrobe was always brand spanking new, and full of stuff you got to pick yourself. Although you did feel a stab of pity for your younger sister, forced into those low-slung jeans that were now three years out of fashion.
6. You got to hear all of the secrets that your siblings wouldn't tell mum and dad
Juicy gossip? Yes please! Although obviously you helped them out after they'd spilled the beans.
7. You were the 'cool older sibling' when anyone else's friends came round to play
'Yeah, I can make my own juice now,' you'd say, casually opening the Kia-Ora. 'It's a pretty big deal.'
8. But got away with doing far more childish stuff than was acceptable for your age, because 'they' wanted to
Playing with Barbies? Sure. Obsessively watching Disney films in your teens? Well, if you insist.
9. You paved the way for THEM to be able to do awesome teenage stuff
Well, if you get to go to your first bar at 15, or learn to drive on your 17th birthday, so do they. And for that you deserve eternal gratitude.
10. You had no one to live up to
You set the standard, rather than following it. And even if the copycatting got a bit annoying, you'd NEVER tire of hearing the 'Why can't you be more like [insert your name here]?' line.
11. When your parents went out, you got to be in charge
Which meant first dibs on the food AND the remote control. Winning!
12. And even now, when your siblings get together, you're STILL in charge
Absolutely nothing would get done if you didn't do it. But, hey, let's not pretend you don't love ordering everyone around anyway.
13. You had plenty of younger, more innocent victims to pass the blame onto when you were naughty
Sorry, baby siblings, but you'd have done exactly the same in our shoes.
14. You were big enough to tease your siblings without them hurting you
It wasn't bullying, it was character building.
15. But also big enough to hurt ANYONE who decided they were going to tease them themselves
NO ONE GETS TO BE MEAN TO THEM WITHOUT YOUR SAY SO.
16. You take a particular sense of pride in your younger siblings that they'll never get to experience
No matter how mean you were to them as a kid, you'll always be their biggest cheerleader in life when they need you.
17. Mainly because, if you do say so yourself, they've totally been raised in your image
They just don't know how blessed they are!
