the pains and gains of being an eldest

Note: This post is based largely on interviews with eldest children, and some on this blogger’s personal experience.

The pains in the life of an eldest child:

1. The responsibility issue. Even if your parents won't impose on you to help them run the family they've both started, you will still have no choice but to help them: educate your younger siblings, or pay for every damn thing that your parents can't (or sometimes won't because they think and believe you have the capacity to carry these extra loads on your virgin shoulders. Shut up!). But of course, you belong to this family, and you just so love everyone there; you will never try to run away from them no matter how tempting the situation can be.

2. The last best hope. If your parents can't decide on major things, you get to be the last and only hope. And in most cases, it's real hard; especially if they believe you're smarter than them, and they just like sit there while you try to squeeze your brain to suffocation for any reasonable ideas to pop up. See, you can never really ran away from them, otherwise, you will all be camping in the streets because they’ve already sold your house while you were away. Such an exciting life!

3. Paying for your own things. This shall commence when you start earning your own money. Gone are the days when you just wash the plates (or simply hug mama dear) for a new pair of shoes or pants (or a new bike for your birthday). If you still have this charm on your parents, it only shows how unfair this world has become! And not only for your own, because if things get unlucky in your part of this planet, chances are a big chunk of what you earn also goes to the family rugrats, your younger siblings!

4. Understanding the immature rugrats. Their needs, their wants, or even petty things like fighting over petty stuffs, constantly. This has its good side too, like, you--being their eldest--can always give them a beating or two if the situation worsens (especially when the real bosses are out). I've never done it to any of my two siblings though, because they'll surely retaliate! Those rugrats!!!

5. The family accountant, secretary, sergeant-at-arms, calendar, et cetera. In short, you have your own share of the family headaches too! A share that can never be converted to cash. Life truly sucks!

However, there are perks of being an eldest, too. Here are a few:

1. You get to have your own slaves. Your younger siblings. I've got two slaves in the house whose main task is to clean up my room. *wink

2. First-borns are most loved, especially by their mothers. Mm-hmm!

3. You get to decide first on most things in the household, like, which room in the house should go to you, et cetera, before your younger siblings could protest. And you get to be the first person to own a pc, and other extra gadgets in the house (because of course, you also pay the bills!).

4. You get your parents' trust without asking for it, like, they give you the money to pay the bills (and the rest for your own consumption, as they don't normally ask for the sukli. speaking of trust.)

5. You’re richer than your siblings. Though your money will likely go to your family's expenses. But still, you can always indulge yourself with your own money, just don’t show your payslip to mama.

The world may be unfair, but unfortunately, we can’t sue it. So, can we cry now?