24 Things A Girl Can Only Learn From Her Brother

Oh brothers! You can't live with them, you can't live without them. They can be your greatest support system, your inspiration and your rock. As well as being little sh*ts, smelly bastards and incredibly insensitive. But still, there are so many things every girl can learn from her brother. 24 things in fact...

24. That All Men Are A Child At Heart

It doesn't matter what decade of their life they're in: they will still play video games, call you stupid and laugh at their farts.

23. The Extent Of A Mammy's Love

In every Irish family it's known that the daughter becomes more of a friend towards her Mother. You go with her to Aldi, help her with the laundry and gossip with her about the latest scandal. But for her little prince, she'll use up all the food in the house to keep him fed and iron his pillowcases.

22. The Joys Of Stealing Road Signs

In his teenage years he couldn't two weeks without stealing some kind of road/construction sign. He returns with a huge smile on his filthy face, with pride gleaming out of his pours before asking you "Come see what I got.".

21. How To Give Powerful Dead Legs  & Hot Chinese Burns

We've all been beaten by our brothers. Whether it's kicking, punching, wet willies, wedgies, dead legs or Chinese burns, it has happened to you. But what this teaches you is how to torture someone else... which is good... kind of...

20. How To Stay Grounded

You've found out that you've exceeded your own expectations in your summer exams, you got a 100e in tips at work and life is just pretty dandy. Brothers have their own special way of telling you "I'm proud of you, but don't get ahead of yourself." .

19. How To Eat Like An Absolute Pig

Life can be tough for a girl; we're constantly told we need to stay slim, act lady-like and not to make a mess of ourselves. Well what your brother will teach you is to throw that out the window. Too many Christmas dinners have passed to regain any lady-like disposition in his eyes. Stuffing your face together is just another family activity.

18. The Real Way A Guy Should Treat A Girl

So your brother may be a little sh*t towards the ladies, or he could be an absolute gent. Either way, even though he teases you and eats your chocolate he still open doors for you, offers to make you tea and makes you a hot water bottle at that time of the month.

17. Give You Perspective On The Male Point Of View

Brothers aren't afraid to tell you you're acting batsh*t crazy. They'll always offer you honest dating advice, give you a good insight into the male mind and tell you what you should do to not seem so crazy.

16. When To Stop Whining

No matter how hard you life seems your brother will have no hesitation in telling you to shut the f*ck up. In all fairness, they usually only say this when your hair straightener breaks or you've run out of tan mid legs.

15. What's "Hip"

Fact: You will never as cool as your brother... in their mind. It seems that no matter what band you listen to or which social media website you engage with, they will always be one step ahead of you. When you do manage to impress them with your "hipness" they will pat you on back, leaving you a bit bewildered.

14. How To Forgive & Let Live

If anything a girl has learnt from having a brother is how to forgive and let live: how many times has he broken something of yours? Has had his friends make fun or you? Or embarrass you in front of the cool kids. But still... we love them.

13.  That No Matter Age You Are, He Will Still Tease You & Probably Get Away With It

Brothers are probably the only members of the male race that can get away with calling us fat and suffer no repercussions. Just remember they tease you because they love you... and because they can.

12. That Mom And Dad Mean Well, But Aren't Always Right

Overtime we slowly realize that our parents are just human beings trying to not raise serial killers. Our brothers tend to be the first ones to disagree with the aul rents' as they discover that climbing trees is a lot more fun than not climbing trees. And that you don't necessarily have to tell them everything.

11. That What Your Parents Don't Know, Won't Kill Them

As a child of course I ratted on my brother, what he was doing was bold and if I couldn't do it, why should he? As we get older and our lives get that all more, em, private. Our brothers let us in on the secret that it's okay to have secrets. That way we don't disappoint our parents.

10. That You Can Do Whatever They Can

This doesn't mean I want to play football all the time and drink a ludicrous amount of lager, but I know I can because I've had to endure several hundred hours of playing football and listen to my brother lecture me on how to day drink without passing out.

9. That It's Not Just You Who Feels Their Family Is Insane

They've attended every family event with you, have sat through numerous families dinners and have gone through all the rows with you. It's good to know that you're not the only one who thinks that aunt Emma is an absolute nut or uncle Karl is a sensational bore.

8. That You Can Blame Most Things On Them

As much as I believe in equal rights, as a sister I tend to get away with blaming my brother for things. Being boys, most lads tend to let things slide and don't really care about being yelled at. So if anyone asks, I didn't eat the last of the biscuits... It was Andrew.

7. How To Deal With "Sharing" Your Food

You're lucky if your brother asks you "Are you going to finish that?". You'll be sitting there, happily munching away on your dinner, merry with life until you look down to discover your plate has been conveniently moved over to where your brother is sitting.

6. That Being Pretty Isn't Everything

You've seen your brothers going from girl to girl, you've met the ones who have actually won over their affections and learn that it really isn't all about looks.  It is reassuring to know that guys do care about personality and we don't have to live on a diet of lettuce in order to attract the other gender.

5. How To Treat Other Guys

We know that we obviously can't punch the guys that come into our lives, but having a brother gives any girl a great understanding of how to deal with lads: whether they tick us off or are acting the bollox. We've seen it all before, from the other side.

 4. How To Understand Lad Banter

Maybe not completely. Personally I'll never understand why lads think it's great craic to smash up things, burn stuff and just cause inconvenient mayhem. But I know it must their version of talking about Kimye, talk about which tan is best or having the bops with our best mates.

3. That You Shouldn't Take Sh*t From Anyone

Your brother will the first person to call you an idiot for letting someone get away with something. It doesn't matter if they're our older or younger sibling, he will always look out for his sister. It's not because you are a girl and he thinks your useless, it's because he loves you and doesn't think you deserve to be walked all over.

2. That 'Prohibited Area' Means Craic Central

Brothers seem to be born with the term "rules are made to be broken" built into their minds. You would think that they might take a moment to think about getting arrested for trespassing. But no, they enjoy the case if it comes to that.

1. That Boys Will Always Be Boys

Even though they may be busts up, food stolen, Chinese burns and teased day in-day out, we still love our brothers more than anything. After all, if you can't beat them, join them.