Turning to horoscopes or the moon for self-reflection is cool and all, but one of the most overlooked tools at your disposal is examining the order in which you were born.
The oldest kid in the family is in the unique position of having actually been an only child for a hot minute or two. Along come the younger siblings, and the oldest’s whole universe shifts. Middle and youngest children, however, don’t know a world in which they are the sole apple of everyone’s eye. As you can imagine (or literally know, if you are an oldest child yourself), giving up your only-child status is a life-changing and perspective-forming experience.
If you’re not an oldest child, you’re probably working with one, admiring one (hello, Oprah!), or, almost certainly, related to one. So what are people who grew up with *only* younger siblings like?
Keep reading for 5 things every oldest child knows.
1. You learned at a young age that the world was unfair
As the guinea pig of your parents’ rules, your siblings got away with a lot of stuff that you didn’t.
2. You’ve been really mature for pretty much your whole life
As soon as your siblings were born, you became the in-house babysitter, meaning you had to be the one who advised against healthy-living no-no’s, like eating a bag of sugar or *never* going to sleep.
3. You’re used to people copying you
As the oldest child, you were used to being the trailblazer…and used to your younger siblings jacking your awesome style.
4. Privacy is very important to you
Probably because you never had any. Growing up, closed doors weren’t a question, they were the rule.
5. You’ve been called “bossy” before
But “bossy” means decisive! All of the years of experience reining in the chaos of younger siblings means you have a good grasp on what’s necessary to keep things running smoothly—AKA oldest kids get things done.
You can also learn a lot about yourself through a Myers-Briggs test or by figuring out if you’re an introvert.
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