Were you ever asked as a child, “Who do you love more, your mom or your dad?” That’s a question many weren’t able to answer back then, and would likely have refrained from answering later as adults.

But some adults have no problem ranking others, even when it comes to their own children. Unsurprisingly, such preferential treatment can result in all sorts of detrimental outcomes, from strained relationships to wounds that might never heal.

On the list below, you will find stories shared by siblings of the “golden children” who, in their parents’ eyes, could do no wrong. The netizens opened up about their experiences and feelings after a member of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community asked them about the time their parents’ favoritism came back to bite them. Scroll down to find their accounts of the aftermath on the list below, but keep in mind that some of the stories can get quite upsetting.

• Read More: “My Sister Could Do No Wrong”: 30 Times Parents’ Favoritism Of One Child Came Back To Bite Them

#1

My brother was the golden child. Youngest, only boy that my mother was so desperate to have. And honestly, he’s great. Respectful, kind, happy. He just got married and my mother HATES his wife. So now, after some comments that she really can’t walk back, my mom is low contact with my brother and it’s driving her absolutely insane.

Image credits: AuntieKitKat

#2

My dad depleted his entire retirement fund to bail my brother out of jail and then pay the legal fees to keep him from going to prison. My brother now has nothing to do with them (or anyone but the sibs all cut him off years ago), is currently ducking the law on fraud charges, and my parents are living hand to mouth blaming bros wife for all his issues in life. Because apparently, there is no possible way it could be his fault.

Image credits: Smlovers

#3

The golden child/scapegoat situation in my family was interesting. I had two cousins who were siblings. One had severe ADHD and often acted out. Their older sibling competed in dance competitions internationally and did very well in school, earning scholarships to this top school. Older kid was the priority with the parents investing in their success while the younger kid was constantly asked “why can’t you be more like Perfect Kid?”

Younger sibling struggled in high school but graduated. After graduation, they flourished. Got a construction job and worked up. Meanwhile, the older sibling graduated college and it took them a year to find a job. Having never faced adversity, this took a mental toll on them, especially when they had to ask the younger sibling for help.

All of us in the extended family could see this coming a mile away. And the favoritism even trickled down the cousins. My grandmother knew I’d also had trouble finding a job after college but told me that my cousin was “fragile” about not finding a job, and then ranted about how someone so perfect couldn’t find one. Meanwhile, the kid everyone yelled at all the time had been working continually since age 18 and became a homeowner in his late 20s.

Image credits: Murky_Conflict3737

#4

He got arrested for beating up a homeless person. Not his first time beating up a homeless person, just first time a cop saw him do it.

He’s a sociopath. But boy is he a good rock climber! And that’s all my parents ever cared about this 40 year old trust fund baby.

Image credits: Pitiful_Winner2669

#5

My parents struggled with infertility and miscarriages before finally having my older brother. Their little miracle rainbow baby could do no wrong. My parents bailed him out of every situation he got himself into with absolutely no consequences. My moms reasoning was, he just tunes you out if you yell at him. So they never really disciplined him.

Eventually he bankrupted them. They gave him money to fix every problem and then he’d get himself into another. Stole money from them. My dad cosigned for his truck and my brother stopped paying the loan and it fell to my parents. They got so behind they almost lost their farm.

And me, the other kid. Oh yeah I fixed that for them. Got them out of their financial hole, made sure they didn’t lose their farm…the farm they recently wrote into their will that my brother gets when they die.

Image credits: adhdknitter

#6

My brother. Grew up to be a malignant narcissist himself and my mom favoured him and supported his bad behaviour – gave him money and never made him accountable to making good choices. He moved into the home my parents owned and was awful to live with but she never would let my dad kick him out. My mom’s health declined over the last few years and my dad was her main caretaker until his dementia became too progressed and he was placed in a long term care home…. Leaving my mom to rely solely on my brother to take care of her.

It lasted 6 months. She ended up falling and breaking her hip in October because of course he did nothing to help her. She died a month later in the hospital, alone and in pain.

Image credits: heyhermano23

#7

My mother was a narcissist and delusional. She pulled my sister into being the adult of the family by the time she was 12. She had to protect her and listen to all of her crazy stories about how everyone was out to get her. But my sister could do no wrong. She was the perfect golden child of the family. So, she never connected the dots that my mom was seriously mentally ill.

When my mom died, my sister had a nervous breakdown once all of the ongoing stress let off, decided she had lead poisoning from paint and that she was allergic to everything on earth. She got to the point where all she would eat is baby food and had hysterical blindness. She went to 52 different doctors and finally found some quack who charged her over $100,000 for chelation.

My mom had essentially made her a mini-me and she was lost.

Image credits: EmmelineTx

#8

The golden child is the only one of my mother’s children that is speaking to her regularly. He lives in the same city as her while my other sibling and I are thousands of miles away. As her health starts to decline, golden child will be the only one available to help. He likely won’t move away because he feels like he can’t leave her alone.

I was slated to be her caretaker but that is never happening. Good luck to them!

Image credits: Some_Pilot_7056

#9

My brother is the favourite one because he’s white skinned and more good looking. Typical asian thingy, if you must. I was also slow in development and in middle school, tested my IQ to be 80, so they kind of see me as a shame. I am a very late bloomer. My grandparents and parents prefers him. This is about my grandparents.

Being the more financially successful one while my brother struggles to find a job, I am responsible for putting the meals at the table. It’s somewhat their fault that he’s overly spoiled and lazy. Now, they are very conscious of their bad treatment in my younger days, so they are very careful not to offend me. 

Once they pushed to make me send my brother to college so he can get a degree to get a job (I do not have a degree), I told them they can start asking him to pay for their living expenses because I am not shy not leave them homeless. I did so with my mother. She begged me to help her financially because she got dumped with a child by her new husband and I closed the door on her. I honestly have zero attachment to them due to the abuse they did when I was young, including locking me up in a room so I can get better. 

They are kind of offish and afraid of me. I know they hate me but they can never say it and they are civil around me. Anytime there is a disagreement, I’ll tell them to get my brother to start supporting them. It’s mostly no argument and they will begrudgingly agree with everything I say even if it’s against what they believe. 

Some may say it’s financial abuse. But I am not abusing them. They are always free to leave. I have no obligation to take care of them but that’s what I do. And if they can’t appreciate that, then they can always go to their more favoured child.

Image credits: Various-Use-1193

#10

My sister became a terrible human being and she is the only one to talk to my mom, mostly for free baby sitting. Before I went no contact with both, my mom was always complaining how mean my sister was to her and my sister would talk about how much she hated my mom. They deserve each other.

Image credits: MythOfLaur

#11

I’m adopted older brother is their bio child. They bought him 2 cars, paid for medical school bought him a house. He hasn’t talked to my parents in a decade after his divorce, they have to talk to the ex wife to see the grandkids. Guess how well that goes over? I barely come around anymore for reasons. Not saying they weren’t great parents. Growing up they were wonderful but I was definitely the adopted brown kid. Went to get family photos once, the photographer called me “spot” and they just laughed and laughed.

• You Might Also Like: 43 Historical Pictures That Feel Like A Treasure Chest Of Forgotten Lore

Image credits: Cumkey23

from Bored Panda https://ift.tt/qQxu7Uo
via IFTTT source site : boredpanda