They tease you and may drive your crazy, but they will also protect you and love you. So we’ve come up with the 20 things to remind girls about the amazing benefits of having an older brother.
1. He taught you how to understand boys and men alike.
Men or boys can be hard to deal with and for a girl, having an elder brother can provide great insight to understanding them. From the time a young lady starts dating, an elder brother can help her navigate through and past a lot of the early misunderstandings she may experience at the start of the relationships. Having an elder brother and his advice at hand can help you avoid a lot of relationship heartaches. Or, at least, get through them.
2. He taught you how to be patient.
As a sister, you are probably all too familiar with the pranks and goofy games boys play. On a positive note, this taught you how to be patient. Whether its motherhood and parenting or dealing with others, having an elder brother has taught you to not get angry or be frustrated too easily.
3. He showed you how to be tough.
Girls who have older brothers tend to make good fighters, literally and figuratively. You learn to stand up for yourself and make your voice heard. You learn to not get pushed around by anyone. The wrestling matches you get into with your brother teach you to stay strong and never give up. He might be stronger than you, but you learn to become cunning.
4. He introduced you to sports.
For most young girls, an older brother begins your lifelong obsession with sports or your favorite sports teams. If you are an avid sports enthusiast, chances are, you have a lot of fond memories enjoying watching ball games with your older brother.
5. He taught you how to compete.
Having an older brother is great because he teaches you how to tap into your competitive side. As you try to succeed in any career path, this skill will become an asset. An older brother gives you great insight into the male dominant world of competition. He will also help develop your self-esteem and leadership skills.
6. He taught you to keep your emotions in check.
It is no secret that girls are typically more emotional than boys. However, girls who grow up with brothers learn to keep their emotions in check. They learn to “suck it up” and move on. Growing up among boys means you will most likely learn to play the role of comforter in tricky or tragic situations.
7. He taught you chivalry.
Older brothers teach their little sisters exactly how they should be treated by a man. As a little sister, you notice the way he treats your mom or his girlfriend and that in turn creates the standard that you will hold all men who try to date you to. The way you let men treat you today is probably what you learned from your older brother.
8. He will always protect you.
Sometimes a girl just needs to be protected by her older brother. Like a lion to its cubs, men take on a very protective nature or role when it comes to the well-being of their little sisters. You don’t have to worry about any creepy men coming around with your older brother in the picture.
9. He looks to you to keep him accountable.
As a little sister, one thing you may not realize is that you help keep your older brother in check and accountable for his actions. Because he knows you are looking up to him, he will probably not do all the dumb things boys are typically knows to do. Just some.
10. You get to be his personal stylist.
You are probably responsible for any kind of style and class your older brother may have. It is no secret that most men don’t know how to dress themselves, so little sisters often take on the role of personal stylist to their older brothers.
11. You teach him compassion.
It is impossible for an older brother to stay mad and upset at his little sister for too long. In this sense, you teach him early on compassion and how to forgive. No matter what you do, your older brother will always have room in his heart for you.
12. You will never need to hire a mover.
You know all too well that life can get very busy. You move to college, move into a new apartment or need help hauling heavy equipment. No matter what it is, having an older brother means you will never need to hire someone to help you move your stuff. He is always going to be there to literally help you move the heavy stuff in your life.
13. You will always have a steady stream of good men to date.
Eventually most girls would love to get married. However it can be difficult sometimes to find good men to date. Having an older brother means you will have a steady stream of suitors. Some may be his friends and others may be guys who try to get to know him as a way to get to know you. Whatever the case, when it comes to dating, having an older brother can be a very productive resource.
14. You got to teach him about girls.
Men typically don’t know much about girls. However your brother has the upper hand to learning just how to treat or talk to a woman. Whenever he is having girl problems, you know he will always reach out to you for advice. Like he has been there for you to learn about the opposite sex, you have been his source of learning too. And an older brother learns to confide in his little sister.
15. He teaches you self-defense.
In this day and age, it has become increasingly important for girls to know how to use a weapon to protect themselves. More than likely, if you know how to operate a weapon like a gun or a knife, you learned it from your older brother.
16. He takes the brunt of parenting.
Having an older sibling mean someone already absorbed the bad parenting skills of mom and dad. By the time you come around, their skills are more refined and relaxed. For younger sisters, having an older brother may mean that your parents won’t be so hard on you.
17. He teaches you what’s cool.
From a young age, a girl might turn to her older brother who seems to have more knowledge and expertise about the world. They often, for example, teach you about pop culture and world events. Having an older brother can be a gateway to learning so much about the world.
18. He’s there to help you financially.
Older brothers love to take on a father figure type role when it comes to their younger sisters. This often means helping them out financially. For example, since he is older and probably already working, chances are you can ask him for money whenever mom or dad says no.
19. He teaches you to laugh at yourself and be silly.
Life is serious enough, but having an older brother can teach you to enjoy the humor of practical jokes. A lot of times, boys will play pranks.And sometimes you get to be included on those with your brother. Learning to roll with the punches will teach you to not take life so seriously and be able to laugh at yourself.
20. He is a shoulder to cry on.
Part of the protective nature of an older brother is being a good listener or a comfortable shoulder to cry on. Knowing that you can always count on him to listen without criticism or judgement is the glue that binds little sisters to their older brothers. Much like the love of a father, an older brother tends to love his little sister unconditionally. Featured photo credit: http://mandanielsen.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html via mandanielsen.blogspot.com
