17-year-old gets forced out of the house by his parents for telling his 15-year-old sister that she is their favorite child: 'Sometimes they just let my sister choose what we should do for my birthday'

Author image for Brad Dickson
Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Aug 22, 2025 6:00 PM EDT

Siblings often complain about one sibling being the favorite over the other, perceiving different levels of attention, support, and offerings their siblings are getting as slights rather than happenstance. This can be difficult for even the most well-intended parents to balance to avoid having one kid feeling like the other is "the favorite." No matter how they try to balance things, the differing circumstances of their kids' ages, the opportunities they get, and the timing of them, and the resources available to the family at the time will always mean that there are differences in each kid's experience.

Of course, especially in the emotional stages of childhood, things can feel pretty unfair when you're comparing yourself to siblings. There's always going to be something that feels unfair or sparks disagreement and rivalry between them. There might be some truth behind some coincidental examples of one sibling receiving more opportunities than the other, but the reality is that you and your siblings are looking at the same scene, the same story, from different angles and through different lenses.

All that being said, in this instance, it sounds like there might actually be some serious favoritism going on in this family. In his account of events, the 17-year-old tells about how his parents would frequently pull his sister out of school just to spend time with her when they would never do the same with him. They would even let her pick where they were going for dinner when it was his birthday. When he called her out for this and her other entitled behavior, it brought everything to a head, and his parents, of course, sided with his sister and made him go stay with his grandparents.

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  • 01

    "I (17m) fought with my sister (15f) the other day and got kicked out by my parents because of it"

    AITA for telling my sister she can't be everyone's favorite and being our parents favorite should be enough? I (17m) fought with my sister (15f) the other day and got kicked out by my parents because of it. I might have gone too far so I'm here to find out.
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 02
    A sister and a brother playing outside on a log
    via anniespratt

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 03
    My parents treated my sister like the favorite. She was the kid who couldn't get into trouble, who could wrap them around her finger and get away with h I. But the favoritism mostly showed in them spoiling her and dedicating 1:1 time for her while they never made much of an effort with me. She gets pulled out of school early usually 1-2 times a month for a hang out with one of our parents, and sometimes they pull her out for family time. I never get pulled out of school for stuff like that.
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 04
    My parents make a bigger deal out of my sister's birthday and she gets a choice for her birthday parties. I always had to go for what my parents chose for me. Sometimes they just let my sister choose what we should do for my birthday and there are 5 years I can easily say the birthday was for her and not me because I hated it.
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 05
    One time it was this tea party place. Another time it was a spa. Like yeah I was there but it wasn't about me. When we were way younger the other thing was she had to get at least two presents to open during my party or someone else's party.
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 06
    My parents always talk about how proud they are of my sister. They have pinned her art on our schedule board. They post about every report card she gets. My grades are better and more consistent but she still gets all the praise.
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 07
    My sister could be invited for an all girl cousin sleepover. My parents never let me go to an all boy one unless my sister could be invited. Another thing was aunts and uncles could invite her to hang out with cousins without me but not me without her.
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 08
    The only people who were allowed to have just me were my paternal grandparents. They fought my parents to have special time with me. They always try to make me feel less unwanted. They spoil me a little. They show up to support me every time I have a competition I'm in and sometimes they can get other family
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 09
    to come too. They always make sure I get a wanted birthday present and Christmas present because my parents don't make the same effort, while my sister might get 5 to 6 wants each time.
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 10
    They tried to include my sister sometimes but she never wanted to come and they never pushed it. But she was invited and my grandparents didn't completely ignore her. My sister has gloated about our parents not getting me any good presents or about how she has all the control for my birthday celebrations. Or that I never get to pick the takeout place like she does (sometimes). She said our parents don't like spending time with me either since I never join in on family stuff.
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 11
    She's jealous about it now and has bitched to me about it since September 20th when she wanted me to know it wasn't fair I was getting so much cool stuff from them when she got nothing. The thing she complained about was a refurbished $150 laptop they got me for school before Christmas because my parents wouldn't replace my old one (that my grandparents bought) and they weren't okay with me using the family
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 12
    computer. But guess who could use mine when hers broke? Yeah... Anyway, she bitched about it and then bitched even more when I got stuff to customize my PS5 and some other stuff for Christmas. She told me they never get her all the cool stuff she wants. She complained about it and then the other day I snapped when she told me I'm so the favorite and how that is and how much I
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 13
    sk and they s k for having a favorite. She said she didn't do anything to not be. I told her she can't be everyone's favorite and being our parents favorite should be enough. My sister told me I was a j for saying that and I told her at least I'm not a selfish, entitled princess and she already gets practically everything she wants off her wish list
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 14
    so why is she complaining when I get one or two things that I want. I told her she knows our parents don't do sh for me. I told her she's not even a good sister but at least she's their favorite, right? She started screaming at the top of her lungs that she hated me and our parents came in and asked what the fight was about and when they heard I called her their favorite and told her she can't be everyone's favorite they said I needed to leave.
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 15
    I'm at my grandparents house and my sister texted me once saying I had no right to say all those mean things to her and I hurt her feelings. AITA?
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 16
    Cheezburger Image 10545524992
    via anniespratt

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 17
    MarathonRabbit69 NTA, this is a pretty standard sibling argument. Your parents kicked you out of the house for this? They and your sister are complete pieces of sh..
    via Just-Scallion-1724
  • 18
    Appropriate_Tea_26... You are most definitely not the a hole! I understand what it's like to not be included and to have a favorite sibling. It's rough! Your parents are and I'm sorry that's the hand you were dealt.
    via Just-Scallion-1724

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Babies family dynamics teens family drama stepmother aita AITAH infant kids teenagers blended family siblings stepchild moms family feud parenting family pregnant reddit thread parent raising kids Parenting Fail parents children
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