Sibling rivalry and parental favoritism are facts of life. They’re hard to avoid. But when taken too far, they introduce a lot of unneeded stress into your relationships. And in some fringe situations, when the bitterness and frustration boil over, things get so bad that it can turn your entire life upside down.
This is what happened to one anonymous woman who aired her grievances to the TrueOffMyChest online community. She went into detail about how her parents always saw her as their proverbial golden child. Her older sister, consumed with envy and anger, decided to ruin her life. Keep scrolling to read the full family drama and to see how the internet reacted to the chaos.
In some fringe cases, parents playing favorites can lead to such intense sibling rivalry that it upends people's entire lives
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Case in point, one woman revealed how her envious older sister completely wrecked her romantic relationship
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Image credits: LightFieldStudios / Envato (not the actual photo)
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Competition between siblings is common. It's a major family problem if your kids start seeing each other as actual enemies
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Sibling rivalry isn’t rare and includes a strong focus on competition, jealousy, bragging, and showing off. In a nutshell, siblings compete with each other to get their parents’ attention, love, support, and resources.
And while a smidgen of rivalry is practically unavoidable (anyone who has siblings can attest to that), it can be taken way, way too far.
If left unchecked, the rivalry can develop into a situation where siblings don’t treat each other as equals, even when they grow up. It can even lead to physical and emotional aggression.
In the very worst cases, siblings see one another as actual enemies. They do whatever they can to undermine them.
Breaking that cycle of hatred is going to take lots of therapy and genuine effort to reconcile. But reconciliation might not always be possible (or even desired) if the relationship has turned poisonous.
For instance, like the author of the online post, you might find it next to impossible to forgive your sibling if they stole the love of your life just because they were envious of the way your parents treated you.
Parents very often have a favorite child, even if they're not aware of it
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Now, parental favoritism isn’t a myth. It’s a (very) uncomfortable truth. The American Psychological Association notes that parents often secretly have a favorite child.
Usually, parents are more likely to favor daughters over sons, as well as kids who exhibit conscientious and agreeable character traits. In short, parents like responsible and organized kids more.
You can show favoritism in various ways. For example, in how you interact with your kids, how much money you spend on them, and how much you try to control them. This favoritism has both positive and negative consequences.
Children who receive less favored treatment, love, and support from their parents tend to have worse mental health. On top of that, they are more likely to have strained family relationships.
Your kids need to understand that you love and support them for who they are as individuals
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As per the Harvard Business Review, to keep sibling rivalry in check, parents ought to avoid making comparisons between their children.
What’s more, they should strive to become aware of their biases, celebrate each child’s strengths, and encourage their kids to follow their interests.
Meanwhile, it’s vital that parents spend individual time with all of their children.
Preferably doing what they enjoy doing. That way, they’ll understand that they’re all a priority to you.
What are your thoughts, Pandas? What do you think about the way the woman upended her younger sister’s life? Have you ever let sibling rivalry get the better of you? Where is the line when it comes to parental favoritism? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Many people were utterly shocked by the family drama. Here's their perspective
