My parents threw a huge party on my 5th birthday at our farmhouse, with over 50 people. I still remember the red dress with white polka dots I wore and the massive Pokémon cake my mom bought. I guess special days stick in our hearts effortlessly.
Speaking of birthdays, this mother was worried that her daughter would grow up to resent her small parties, while her son got lavish celebrations because of St. Patrick’s Day. However, when she expressed her concern to her husband, the rude guy dismissed her. Here’s how she planned to end this discrimination…
More info: Reddit
As kids, the special moments stick in our hearts, and we can still remember them after growing up
Image credits: Marcela Ruty Romero / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The poster's son was born on St. Patrick's Day, so his birthday celebrations were always a week long, with gold coins from the leprechaun
Image credits: boomanoid / Freepik (not the actual photo)
Meanwhile, her second child was a girl, and they had a small party for her birthday, so this discrimination bothered the poster
Image credits: pressmaster / Freepik (not the actual photo)
When she brought up her concerns with her husband, he dismissed her, claiming that their daughter wouldn't remember anything after growing up
Image credits: DancingMommaToes
After netizens opened her eyes, she swore to celebrate both the children's birthdays just as lavishly, without any discrimination
In today’s story, we dive into the life of the original poster (OP), a mom of two kids. Her son was born on St. Patrick’s Day, so his birthdays were celebrated for almost a week. The leprechaun visited their house, leaving golden coins for the son, with a room full of balloons and streamers as well. However, the opposite was true for her daughter, which concerned OP.
She had also felt less stressed or controlling during her second pregnancy. Coupled with the fact that they threw a small party for her daughter’s first birthday, the poster started feeling really guilty. It all got intense when they were decorating the house for her son’s 5th birthday, and she asked her husband whether the leprechaun had visited their daughter.
He said no, and OP’s concerns came spilling out. She mentioned how it was all unfair to the little girl, who would grow to resent this discrimination. Much to her annoyance, her husband dismissed her concerns, claiming that their daughter wouldn’t remember anything. In fact, he even blamed the poster for trying to complicate everything, leaving her at a loss.
After she vented online, netizens confirmed her worst fears, called out the discrimination, and labeled her husband a jerk. However, they were relieved when she gave an update. She had written a note from the leprechaun explaining that he was visiting them for both kids, not just the son. Also, she decided to celebrate all her daughter’s future birthdays just as lavishly, and not because of a festival.
Image credits: The Yuri Arcurs Collection / Freepik (not the actual photo)
I don’t know about you, but this is a clear case of gender-based favoritism. Unfortunately, recent research has revealed that parental favoritism is quite common, occurring in as many as 65% of U.S. families. It is generally based on birth order, gender, and personality, but the reasons may be more complex. Netizens called her husband a misogynist for dismissing his daughter’s birthdays.
Experts stress that siblings who receive less favored treatment tend to have poorer mental health and more strained family relationships. Meanwhile, studies elaborate that the favored child can have negative emotional implications, especially if it persists into adulthood. Using a festival to have a bash for the son sounds like a pretty lame justification for their discrimination.
Moreover, the couple could even hamper the sibling bond with this behavior. Research emphasizes that parental favoritism is a highly complex dynamic that affects the entire family. It also explains that when this occurs in childhood, it can lead to tension and reduced closeness among adult siblings. The couple’s actions are causing too much damage, aren’t they?
After all, kids do remember many of the things they experienced during childhood, contrary to what the poster’s husband believes. Well, OP did update that they would celebrate the daughter’s special birthday with just as much zest, and I hope they stuck to their word. Don’t you think so, too? We would love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to drop them in the comments below!
Netizens felt that they didn't need a festival to properly celebrate the daughter's birthday, and many called her husband a jerk
