When Favoritism Meets Sibling Rivalry: Is It Wrong To Show Preference?

When it comes to sibling rivalries, it can be hard to show favoritism. But one Reddit user was recently put in a difficult situation when their parents heavily favored their twin sister over their brother. The user did what they could to try and make their brother feel less alone, knowing their parents had treated him as the “scapegoat” and the twin sister as the “golden child.” When their twin sister recently demanded the same level of help in finding a job, the user wasn’t sure how to respond. Was it wrong to favor their brother over their sister?

Grandparents and parents show favoritism to their “daughter” and “bonus baby”, sparking sibling rivalry.

Image credit: throwaway649q | throwaway649q — throwaway649q | throwaway649q

Feeling bad for my sibling Joe, I took it upon myself to show him some favoritism and make him feel less alone

Sibling rivalry and favoritism collide as two siblings get different college experiences.

Joe gets reassurance from a helpful sibling as they talk about avoiding parental favoritism.

Sibling rivalry heats up when favoritism is thrown into the mix. Is it wrong to show preference?

Doing the right thing can cause sibling rivalry Is it wrong to show preference?

The post highlights a common problem faced by many siblings – when favoritism meets sibling rivalry. The poster has a 20-year-old brother, Joe, and twin 18-year-old siblings, Jill. Their parents have always favored Jill due to wanting a daughter while Joe is the ‘bonus baby’. To make him feel less alone, the poster took Joe skating with their friends and sat through his elementary school musical. As the twins are graduating high school, Jill is going to a university in San Francisco fully funded by their parents while Joe got a full ride and is ineligible for financial help from his parents. The poster also mentions that they prefer spending time with Joe over Jill due to her ‘princess syndrome’. Jill got angry when the poster wouldn’t help her find a job in San Francisco, accusing the poster of favoring Joe over her. The poster wants to know if they are in the wrong for showing a preference for Joe. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at the comments and reactions this post has evoked.