Favoritism in the family is one of the easiest ways to turn siblings against each other. After all, most of us want to be accepted and loved by our parents and that can be pretty hard if the rules are entirely different for someone else. What can make it worse is the fact that they often don’t even realize what they are doing.
A woman got tired from her parents’ constant, blatant favoritism towards her brother, so she decided to skip out on a Thanksgiving cruise without telling them. We got in touch with her and she was willing to answer some of our questions. Later, she also shared a sizable update.
Parental favoritism will drive a wedge between family members
Image credits: Ron Lach / Pexels (not the actual photo)
So one woman decided to skip a family Thanksgiving cruise because of how she was being treated
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Andy Vult / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: throwra-vacay
Image credits: Juan Pablo Serrano / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The woman shared her thoughts on the story’s popularity
Bored Panda got in touch with the woman who shared the story and she was kind enough to answer some of our questions. The story ended up having over 15k upvotes and she later even posted an update, which can be found below, so we were curious to hear how she felt about the post’s popularity.
“I’m honestly surprised my post received so much attention! I guess it spoke to people because many others have also dealt with favoritism from their parents, and it’s a crushing feeling to know you will never matter as much as the golden child,” she shared.
We also wanted to hear her thoughts on the outpouring of support, as well as debates that raged in the comments section. “The comments that told me I did the right thing made me feel much better about my decision, and those posting their own similar stories made me feel much less alone!”
At the end of the day, it did at least help her get it out. “Making this post really opened my eyes to how this treatment is not normal. There is an update, which I am about to post. That should cover everything so I do not believe there is anything I’d like to add! I hope this message isn’t too late and that it was helpful,” she shared with Bored Panda.
Image credits: Anastasia Shuraeva / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Being a parent’s favorite does come with its own downsides
While it might not look like it from the sidelines, even being crowned the “golden child” is ultimately not good for a person’s development. In this story we already know that the son appears to be less independent and has not progressed as far in his career. While we can’t say for certain, having everything handed to you has a way of stunting ambition and ability.
Children are very aware of injustice, which makes sense when they are dependent on others for everything they have. Even the smallest bit of favoritism is immediately visible and often internalized. Being the less-favorite child tends to come with a lot of psychological burdens, as these kids develop self-esteem issues, anxiety and are often at higher risk of depression.
While some parents might make excuses or even justify their actions, they are also harming the relationships of both siblings, which deprives two people (at minimum) of a possible close friend. It’s selfish and cruel and it’s particularly telling that the parents see the woman’s actions as being part of a “grudge” against her brother (as described in the update) and not the direct result of her own actions.
Fortunately for her, she does have an understanding and supportive partner, which is a key part of not feeling abandoned and isolated. Similarly, while we don’t have the details, one can hope that her parents take a good hard look at the situation and think about why she did what she did. In a perfect world, they will perhaps even understand why their actions were cruel and that they need to make amends.
Many thought her actions were reasonable
A few thought she could have handled it better
Later, she shared an update
English (US) ·