Being the eldest....

I suppose being the eldest has GOT to suck sometimes.... The "If it fits, it ships" rule doesn't count when it's younger siblings you're trying to shove into the box.
I'm the youngest and I suppose I had it easy. Although it was kind of cold living in the shadow of someone who my parents thought was the perfect daughter and the ideal and someone I should strive to be. Of course, I had my own ideas.....
My eldest, being close to 14, lives with three younger siblings whom he "needs to set an example for" and I can tell sometimes that it gets to be a real downer for him. Although I try to let him do his thing, I am still his mother and cannot be his friend all the time. I still hold the title of "Parent" and I do have to act accordingly. Slowly but surely, we have been coming to more and more of an agreement and although we have a rough patches, things are going on swimmingly. I suppose it could be a lot worse, as I have seen and met some of his classmates and if they were mine, I'd beat the snot out of them and send them to military school the way they acted and treated other people. I guess I'm lucky in that respect.
My boy also treats his siblings quite well and although he gets annoyed with them and gets angry, he's actually quite good to them and so I have no complaints there either. I suppose things could be a lot worse.
Considering what his life has been like for the last few years and the different changes that he himself has gone through, he's turning out to truly be someone that I am quite proud of. He still has his moments, but I have to say, he is one VERY cool kid.