Being The Oldest Child In A Medium Large To Very Large Family

1. 85

   gmwilliamsposted 13 years ago

   Being an oldest child in a medium large to very large family is often extremely precarious.   You are often the family's second parent or in locos parentis.   You often have no life of your own to speak about.  Your childhood is often compared to the total hours of daylight in the winter solstice.    You are usually on call to your parents and siblings 24/7/365.   
   
   You are seldom appreciated for what you do for your parents and siblings.  In fact, you are expected to cheerfully look after your younger siblings at a moment's notice.   Your situation is often compared to an indentured servant or worse.   
   
   Even as an adult, you still continue to bear the brunt of the familial responsibilities such as caring for an aging parent and being the go to when a family crisis arises.  If you are affluent, your younger siblings, if they are poorer, expect you to financially look after them.   Describe your experiences of being the oldest sibling in a medium large to very  large family?  Did being the oldest in a medium large to very large family affect you positively or negatively?

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2. 74

   Ciccaroneposted 13 years ago

   I'm the oldest sibling in the family of six and some of this is true. I do spend a lot of timing watching my younger siblings. However, it is not completely torture either. As a family we help each other out and no one person carries all of the burden. True, I naturally was more responsible in taking care of my siblings, however it's not really comparable to and indentured servant.

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   1. 85

      gmwilliamsposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Naturally, it is de rigueur in the lives of oldest children in medium large to very large families.   Being the oldest in medium large to very large families is the most unglamorous and underappreciate position there is.   Many oldest children in medium large to very large families actually detest their birth order position and their familial situation.   While oldest children in small to medium sized families have more glamorous positions such as the cool, hip older sibling or the looked up to advisor and counselor,  the oldest child in medium large to very large families have all the drudgery and none of the glamour!  Their situation is analogous to being Cinderella.

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