I’m a big sister.

I became a big sister when I was eight years old and I was very grateful to be given that title. I’d wanted to be a big sister for, erm, eight years. I’m only a big sister to one brother though, my big girl is a big sister to three brothers and she loves it.

They worship her. Their faces light up when they see her and they compete for her attention. They follow her, hang on her every word and they would do anything for her. Future girlfriends have a lot to live up to as she’s set the bar so high in terms of what she is teaching the boys about girls.

• Girls rock, plain and simple
• Girls can do anything boys can do
• Never underestimate a girl
• Girls can rock climb and do karate and still do ballet and like nail varnish
• Girls can be your best friend, your mini mummy and your bodyguard
• Girls are no pushover
• Girls are fun, funny and fabulous!

My big girl is confident, committed and ambitious but this is beautifully teamed with compassion, love and a huge does of humor. She always wanted to be a princess, like many little girls but she told me recently that “being a big sister is even better than being a princess” . The thing is, in the eyes of these three lucky boys, she’s always been a princess and probably always will be, she’s their princess and she’s my princess too.

The four of them are a team and she is their captain. She might roll her eyes when one of them trumps and they all find it hysterical. She might get cross when she finds them all in her room playing hide and seek or trying on her hairbands. She might feel a little outnumbered sometimes. She might get fed up telling them all to stop picking their nose, but honestly, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

So if you ever gave her the option of being a princess or just being a big sister – she’d choose big sister every time.