Eldest Siblings: Kings or Servants?
Many people think that being the eldest brother or sister is a privilege because you get independence and you have certain power to give orders to the younger siblings. On the other hand, there are those who think that being the eldest sibling is a big disadvantage because you are asked to do all kinds of favors. So the question is: Are the eldest brothers and sisters the kings or are they the servants?
When you are the eldest sibling sometimes you feel so fortunate because you have some privileges and you feel superior to your other brothers and sisters. Many times that is true because as you are the eldest, you have some authority over the younger siblings and you have certain privileges such as traveling in the front seat of your parents’ car or even driving the car if you are old enough.
Despite the privileges you get as the eldest sibling, you also have more responsibilities. You don’t only have authority over your brothers and sisters but also you are responsible for them so you have to protect and take care of them. As the eldest sibling you also get stuck with an endless list of favors and orders from your parents such as “please go to the store and buy some milk and bread” or “ go pick up your little brother at the painting class” or “go pick up your sisters at the party’. You get so annoyed that it does not feel like being a king at all, it actually feels like being the family maid.
In addition to having privileges and responsibilities, you also have to deal with the constant complains and winnings of the younger siblings. They are always fighting about everything and sometimes they are so irritating, rude and evil that you may think that their only purpose is to ruin your life.
The truth is that older brothers and sisters are not kings or servants, actually they play both roles because in a single second you pass from giving orders like a king to receiving them as a servant. So being the eldest sibling is not easy, for you have privileges but also a lot of responsibilities. Like everything in life it has both advantages and disadvantages. As the famous phrase from Spiderman says: “With great power comes great responsibilities.”
Juan Sebastian Tamayo Dominguez.
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