These Are 5 Things A First Born In Any Nigerian Family Would Totally Understand
Being a first born can be enjoyable considering the benefits of respect and privilege it brings, but being in that position can also bring a lot of headaches and pressure.
There is not doubt that being a first born in a Nigerian home can be too much work. For instance, a Nigerian first born is traditionally expected to be a role model to his younger ones. It’s as bad as when things go wrong in the house, he/she is considered as being responsible.
Indeed, anyone born as a first child into a Nigerian home can immediately relate to these scenarios which information Nigeria presents below:
1. Pressure:
Most Nigerian first borns are familiar with pressure from parents to do well and succeed. This is all so that their younger ones would have a benchmark. First borns are made to believe that the level of their success in life will influence the success of their younger ones. Whether academically or otherwise, a Nigerian first born dare not come second while his/her younger sibling tops his/her class.
2. Take the fall:
Whether a first child committed the offense or not, he or she always takes the blame and punishment for it. It is the job of a first child to make sure everything is done properly. It is equally his job to ensure everyone puts up their best behaviour at every point in time. Anything short of this, the first born should be prepared to answer tough questions when things go wrong.
3. Marry First:
This is particularly worse for a female first child. Nigerian first borns are expected to set the ball rolling in the marriage department so their younger siblings can follow. In some Nigerian cultures, it is wrong for a younger sister to marry before her elder sister but where no tradition forbids a younger sibling to marry before her elder sister, the pressure on an unmarried first daughter is better imagined than experienced.
4. University Admission:
No Nigerian first child wants to be in a situation where he has to write JAMB with his younger sibling(s). This is a really terrible situation for them to be in, it gets even more terrible when the younger one passes and gets admitted into a higher institution while the older sibling doesn’t. Absolutely no Nigerian first born wants to be in that type mess.
5. Inheritance:
This is where the first born really gets to enjoy being the first child. In most Nigerian cultures, the first child is entitled to a larger portion of a deceased parent(s)’s properties and other things left behind. Apart from properties, when it comes to sharing things in the house, the first child gets the most because he uses his superiority to claim more for himself/herself. Anyone who has even eaten from the same plate with his/her elder one can totally relate to this. Times like this is when you would wish you are the first born because you know the only way you can get the big piece of meat is if he/she decides to play Esau.