The most famous parental favoritism is probably between Monica and Ross from FRIENDS. It was really heartbreaking to see their parents go above and beyond for Ross, while Monica got the bare minimum from them. That was just fiction, but it happens many times in real life.
Just look at this couple who were always helpful towards their elder daughter, but expected the younger one to do her own chores. One day, she finally snapped and called them out for this differential treatment. Here’s how they tried to dramatically justify their toxic behavior…
More info: Reddit
Sometimes, parents don't realize that when they play favorites, it can harm both the kids
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster's elder daughter worked for 50 hours per week, while the younger one, who just finished med school, worked 20 hours per week
Image credits: Disastrous-Eagle7810
Image credits: andrewminsk123 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Since the elder one was so exhausted from her work, the couple didn't mind doing her laundry, but the younger one had to do hers by herself
Image credits: Disastrous-Eagle7810
Image credits: freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The younger one also had to walk their pets, and the couple kept constantly helping out the elder one with small things
Image credits: Disastrous-Eagle7810
One day, the younger one finally snapped and called out their favoritism, but they were not willing to reason with her
In today’s story, the original poster (OP) tells us about his two daughters, Maya (27 years old) and Eva (23 years old). Right from the beginning, the way he describes them makes it pretty obvious who his favorite one is. The elder one had an associate's degree in child development, music education, and psychology, and also took classes for extra certifications.
Apart from this, she also worked 50 hours a week as a nanny and as a ballet and music teacher. Meanwhile, Eva recently completed her medical school and worked for 20 hours every week at a clinic. However, she was so burned out from uni that she was considering quitting work and going back to study cosmetology.
Now, listen to the couple’s logic. Since Maya was working so much, they were willing to do her laundry, and she was also not assigned to any pet duties. Eva, on the other hand, was expected to do her own laundry and also walk their pets. Apparently, they also did more favors for Maya since she came home exhausted from her work.
However, one day, when Eva was going out, they asked her to take her clothes out of the dryer before leaving. She asked them to do it for her, but when OP refused, she was super annoyed and called out their favoritism. Yet, her father still thinks that helping Maya is reasonable, but not Eva. His wife said they should just do it, but the poster refused to budge.
Image credits: user25451090 / Freepik (not the actual photo)
After he vented online, folks gave him a harsh reality check that they were clearly favoring Maya. The sad truth is that parental favoritism is quite common and occurs in up to 65% of families. What parents don’t realize is that it can have long-lasting effects, not only on the unfavored child, but also on the favored one.
Experts stress that children instantly notice this differential treatment, and those who get less attention or affection from them tend to have poorer mental health and strained family relationships. Moreover, it must be really heartbreaking to witness when it keeps happening all the time, and anyone is bound to just snap one day out of hurt and frustration.
Speaking of the favored kid, research reveals that favoritism is associated with higher depressive symptoms. It further states that such differential treatment can also lead to an unequal burden later in life. The real world must be difficult for these people when they find out that not everyone is as nice as their mother or father.
Now, OP has not really revealed anything about the bond between the sisters, but the parents’ behavior might definitely spark some friction, right? Studies also emphasize that, “One of the long-term impacts of favoritism is poor sibling relationships. Less-favored siblings may feel inadequate about themselves, which can cause resentment toward the favored one.”
Well, I am glad that netizens told OP the truth without hesitation, and he deserves to know that workload shouldn’t determine who gets more help. Don’t you agree? Let us know in the comments!
Folks online gave him a harsh reality check that the couple was clearly favoring Maya, and Eva was right to be upset over it
