AITA for not supporting my sister’s GPA celebration?

Shirley Stafford Hours
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In a lively suburban home, the glow of academic success sparked a family firestorm. An 18-year-old, fresh from high school with a stellar 4.75 GPA, watched her parents shower her 15-year-old sister with gifts—a Nintendo Switch, a custom plaque, even a leased car—for her 4.0 freshman year. Yet, her own straight A’s earned just high-fives and a dessert. When she called out the favoritism, the fallout pushed her out the door.

This Reddit tale dives into the sting of unequal praise and a teen’s bold stand for fairness. Readers are drawn into a relatable saga of sibling rivalry and parental bias, wondering if moving out was a dramatic exit or a necessary escape. Can a family celebration ever feel like a slight?

‘AITA for not supporting my sister’s GPA celebration?’

My (18F) younger sister (15F) ended her freshman year with a 4.0 GPA, both weighted and unweighted. I was really happy for her when I heard the news, and bought her a congratulatory card and her favorite chocolates when I heard.

I know how hard it can be to earn straight A’s in high school, and appreciated that it was no small feat. I just recently graduated from high school myself with a 4.75 GPA, a 4.0 unweighted GPA. For the past few years, I have earned straight A’s as well.

At the end of each term, when I told my parents the news, they would congratulate me with a high five, and would occasionally make my favorite dessert. Same thing when I graduated with perfect grades; they were congratulatory but never made a big deal about it. I was grateful for their support and never expected anything more.

After my sister ended freshman year with straight A’s, however, it was a whole different story. She got to choose where we ate for a whole week, my parents bought her a Nintendo switch, and my dad even crafted a homemade plaque for her out of wood.

Throughout the whole experience, I was happy for her, but I felt somewhat dejected knowing that her accomplishment was so much more valuable than mine. Especially since I graduated with perfect grades after taking several advanced classes, while she has only completed one year, arguably the easiest, after taking all regular classes.

I ended up having a conversation with my parents about it. The catalyst was them deciding to lease her car that she wouldn’t even be able to use for six months when I had to pay mine off in full. I expressed my concerns, doing so privately because I didn’t want her to think I was down playing her achievement.

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They said they understood where I was coming from, but “had always known I was smarter and set for good grades, well they never expected that from her.“ My mom even admitted that she was prouder of my sister then she was of me because me getting straight A’s was her expectation.

I decided to move out about a week ago. This isn’t the only instance in which my parents have blatantly favored my sister over me. It’s been building for a long time, and I decided that I didn’t want to live in environment that didn’t support me. My family have all reached out to me saying that I was a jerk and disrespectful of my sister. I don’t know what to do. AITA?

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Family celebrations should lift everyone up, but this story shows how favoritism can sour the party. The Redditor’s stellar grades were downplayed, while her sister’s were overhyped, leaving her feeling like an afterthought. Her parents’ admission—they expected her success but not her sister’s—is a classic case of unequal expectations, stinging worse than a bad report card.

This reflects a broader issue: parental favoritism can erode self-esteem. A 2022 study from the Journal of Family Psychology found 65% of children in families with perceived favoritism report lower self-worth. Dr. Ellen Weber Libby, a family therapist, notes in a Psychology Today article, “Favoritism creates a hierarchy that pits siblings against each other, harming family bonds.” The parents’ lavish praise for one daughter risks just that.

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The Redditor’s move-out was a healthy boundary, not a tantrum. She should maintain open communication, explaining her hurt calmly. Parents need to acknowledge her achievements equally.

Let’s dive into the reactions from Reddit:

The Reddit crowd rolled in like a rowdy PTA meeting, dishing out support with a side of shade. From cheering the Redditor’s independence to roasting the parents’ bias, the comments were a lively mix of fist-bumps and eye-rolls:

KatFrog − NTA How is moving out being disrespectful towards your sister? Did you make a huge poster that says 'I'm moving out because you are the favored child'? Did you tell her that your parents are making a big deal out of her GPA because they thought she wasn't smart enough?

You are definitely not the a**hole here. Your sister isn't the a**hole, though I feel bad for when she hits the real world. But your parents? Complete and utter assholes, for f**king up your self esteem and f**king up your sister's opinion of herself.

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salukiqueen − Wow, what did I just read?? Ok, first of all, in case it’s not clear - NTA. How disrespectful and rude of them to say that to you, and also pretty condescending to your sister?? I hope they never ever tell her that they thought she wasn’t smart enough and that’s why they’re so proud.

I think you’re doing what’s best for yourself by moving out and getting away from that environment. It’s not good for your self-esteem to have to live in your sister’s shadow. I’m not necessarily saying go NC, but I think a break and surrounding yourself with people who recognise your worth will be good for you.

For what it’s worth, I’m a teacher and I’m really proud of you, OP. Straight As and a 4.0 GPA is no small thing and even if your parents don’t recognise how great you are I hope that you do. I’m sorry your parents don’t see that. Good luck in your future endeavours and I hope your family wakes up and treats you better.

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mikhela − 4.75 GPA, paying for your own car, AND living on your own at 18???. OP, we are your Internet Parents now, and we are *so* proud of you!

Sweeper1985 − NTA Your parents' approach here is seriously problematic in favouring one child over the other. I was waiting for there to be some sort of reasonable justification (e.g. she's overcome some horrific setback) but it just doesn't seem like there is one.

AdmirableJudgement − **NTA** You are the s**pegoat in the classic narcissistic family. Start reading up on it and free yourself from further exposure to their favoritism.. Are both your parents this way or does your dad just enable your mom?

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PugRexia − Okay so off the bat I'm gonna say NTA as I agree there is a HUGE difference in their responses to you and her accomplishments. I am curious though, is there anything that can explain why your sister's accomplishment was celebrated so much? As in does she have a history of struggling with grades or a learning disability or something?

MorganAndMerlin − Not only are you not the a**hole, I’m so proud of you and even a little jealous of you. Maybe that’s a little meaningless from a perfect internet stranger, but it’s still true. You sound so mature, talking to your parents first without making a big scene, so that you wouldn’t take from little sis’s moment.

Satan knows I probably wouldn’t have the patience to do that now, let alone at 17-18. Do your own thing. Cut them out for now if you have to, doesn’t have to be forever. You have your whole life ahead of you. And you sound so much better prepared for it than about 95% of the population. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. Don’t second guess that, ever.

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ivi15 − NTA - Your parents just suck badly.

[Reddit User] − NTA just because you may be “smarter” in your parents eyes doesn’t mean your accomplishments are less than hers.

reirrac1 − NTA. Not exactly the same, but I dealt with a step-dad who would constantly push me to do my best. I graduated with a similarly high GPA, excelled in my extra-curricular’s, got a job young, etc, but it never seemed like enough for my step dad.

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Inversely, my sister was never very excellent at many things. She would start a lot of things like band, choir, and theatre, but never committed to any one thing or followed through on anything to the end. I had to pay for everything myself, which included my car, my cellphone (didn’t get one until 18),

and often times food while my sister got a cellphone very young (13/14), he bought her a car, and he pays for everything for her. Sometimes you have to accept that your parents aren’t perfect, and you aren’t always their top priority. I left without saying anything when I was 20.

Redditors rallied behind the teen, slamming the parents’ favoritism while praising her maturity. Some worried for the sister’s future reality check; others saw red flags in the family dynamic. But do these hot takes grade the situation fairly, or just fuel the drama?

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This tale of unequal cheers and a bold exit lays bare the pain of parental favoritism. The Redditor’s straight A’s deserved more than a high-five, and her move-out was a stand for self-worth, not a slight against her sister. Was her departure a masterclass in boundaries or a family foul? Share your stories and thoughts below. What would you do if your achievements were overshadowed by a sibling’s spotlight?

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