What should you do when your parents play favorites?

Philippines
October 3, 2009 11:55am CST
My father play favorites, I consider myself a fairly realistic and pragmatic person. I know that things aren't simple as they appear or should be. However, I can't seem to accept the fact that my father prefer my older sister over me. It's not a case of me being a black sheep or rebellious type,either. I guess that's what makes it more painful and harder to accept. My mother seems to realize my grief and she pays extra attention to me. I love her so much for it, but part of me still longs for parental love. Is it too much to expect?
2 people like this
6 responses
4 Oct 09
I don't know. My parents never play favorites. They always make sure that we are all given enough and equal attentions.
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
Good for you because you are lucky.
@xannebull (1793)
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
my mother played favorites among my siblings, i never realized it when we were still young. but i just realized it when i get older. my mother likes my sister a lot even though she'd done a lot of bad things during college, but still she talks more of positive things about her to her circle of friends until now, in fact i followed everything that she wanted me to do from the very beginning.
• Philippines
4 Oct 09
I understand the situation you are going through now.
3 Oct 09
I sympathise. My mother always preferred my older sister from when I was small. She always gave her better presents, molly coddled and ran after her and the slightest thing by me was enough to get solid smack and be told off and put down. When we had to move and my mum didn't like the new place, she took her moods out on me all the time. She always made excuses and acted like it was normal for the older sibling to be better treated and she always made me feel inferior and put me down. I've had a hard time overcoming all the damage she did and I still have very low self-esteem. It shouldn't happen and it's the parent's fault, not the child's.
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I understand how you feel, we have similar situation.
1 person likes this
@ANTIQUELADY (36440)
• United States
7 Oct 09
It is a horrible thing for a parent to do. I was never the favorite child either w/my parents but i could handle that alot better than the difference my mother made in my two sons. I think it's a very cruel thing for a parent or a grandparent to do. I'm sorry ur father treats u like that.
@olepmis (840)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Favoritism exist always in the family whether parents said that you are all equal but deep in their hearts there is one who has all their attention and they cannot hide it from other children because of the extra attention parents give to their favorite. May be your old sister is their first born that is why she is your father's favorite. In my family, there are 2 boys and a girl. My older brother is my parents' favorite and not me being a girl. My parents said that my older brother is already their 3rd child after 2 miscarriages so special attention was given to my older brother.
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Yes you are right, my father always told me that he equally loves us but action speaks louder than words.
@1creekgirl (41780)
• United States
24 Oct 15
No, you and every child deserves to be loved by their parents. I've seen it personally how extreme favoritism for one child can hurt the other children for the rest of their lives. I'm so sorry you've gone through this, but we have a heavenly Father who loves us more than anyone else ever could.