It's completely normal to prefer some people over others in your life. Well, not in all situations, especially not those where family is included. For example, a parent or a relative favoring one kid over the other shouldn't really be a thing. That's why when things like that happen, drama is bound to ensue.
Just like in this story, where the woman was accused of favoring her nephew over her niece. Only she didn't know that this accusation didn't really come from her actions – there was something deeper to it.
More info: Reddit
While favoritism can be completely normal in some situations, in a family, that shouldn't happen
Image credits: Jessica Rockowitz / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
A woman was accused of favoring her nephew over her niece, but she denied it
Image credits: RDNE Stock project / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The woman said there was no favoritism involved, as she simply has more in common with the boy
Image credits: LindyG12
Image credits: Ansarrio / Freepik (not the actual photo)
This explanation didn't sit right with the girl's mom, and she kept going off about said favoritism
Image credits: Shalev Cohen / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
Yet, her constant talks about it started to shine a light on the fact that the issue might be something else
Image credits: LindyG12
After some family fights, the mom ended up revealing that the girl might have some attention problems and that her being insecure about it resulted in the accusations of favoritism
The OP’s older sisters have a total of four kids. Yet, in today’s story, two of them will take the spotlight. You see, the post’s author has quite a lot in common with her nephew Ben, while with her niece Lily, not that much.
For example, Ben loves Harry Potter, so the woman decided to take him to Universal Studios for his birthday. The thing is that Lily hates things like thrill rides and Harry Potter, so why should the woman spend her money on someone who would be miserable on the trip? Still, it didn’t stop family members from accusing the woman of favoring the boy over the girl.
It even went to the extent of causing a fight between family members, as they started dragging each other’s kids for their quirks. For instance, Ben’s issues that stem from the mistreatment he experienced before his adoption, or Lily’s lack of interests beyond YouTube and whininess.
Lily’s mom was especially pressed on defending her girl’s case, saying she doesn’t have a YouTube problem, as everyone, including her teachers, says. Well, turns out in this case, the mom was kind of wrong.
Apparently, it’s suspected that the girl might actually have some attention problems. And the whole debate about the trip made her mother especially insecure about it, thinking the OP might actually prefer her sister's kid instead of hers, and that’s why she lashed out.
Image credits: Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
After this whole family incident, Lily’s parents said that they would get the girl evaluated for any issues she might have. After all, the possibility of it having to do with attention is not unrealistic – in the United States, around 1 in 10 kids aged 3-17 have attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). That accounts for millions of children solely in the US.
Just as the disorder’s name suggests, it’s a condition that affects a person's ability to pay attention and can make them hyperactive and impulsive. In addition to that, it can cause a person, especially a child, to have low self-esteem, troubled relationships, and to do poorly in school.
Sounds a little similar to Lily, as far as we know her, doesn’t it? Of course, we’re far from being able to diagnose her properly, but we can speculate on the given information. And while there’s no definite cure for ADHD, luckily, there is treatment that can make it more bearable, so Lily’s situation seems to have a bright future if she’s diagnosed with it.
After all, it’s pretty commonly agreed that receiving a proper diagnosis is the first key in dealing with mental health problems. Yes, there's a risk of stigmatizing, which isn’t that nice.
At the same time, it also provides a personal sense of belonging to a community of people who have similar mental health problems and possible treatment options. You know, it’s always better to tackle the problem than to ignore it – that’s something that today’s story is the perfect example of.
Netizens full-heartedly agree with this sentiment – in their eyes, the girl really needs therapy. But do you agree with it? We’re eager to hear all your takes in the comments.
Netizens thought that the girl definitely has some kind of attention-related problems and urged that she see a professional
