Ah, the age-old sibling rivalry, spiced up with a bit of financial favoritism. Hold onto your seats, folks, because we’re about to delve into a juicy real-life Reddit post that’ll make you question family obligations and self-entitlement!
Family Favoritism: The Tale Begins
We start with a 27-year-old woman (God bless her naive heart), passionately narrating how her dear ol’ dad shelled out big bucks to help her sister launch a preschool five years ago. And when I say ‘big bucks,’ I’m talking about the kind of money that’d make a Kardashian do a double take. Daddy dearest bought land, set up a modular building, paid for supplies, handled the first-year finances, and even topped it all off with ongoing donations from his company’s coffers. C’mon now, that’s what I call a serious business benefactor!
The Unbalancing Scales
On the other hand (cue the tragic violin music), our storyteller wants to open a salon. When she approached her dad to sprinkle some financial fairy dust on her dream, he pulled a total reality check. He recommended gaining more work experience and said he might consider helping her out in the future. Oh, the audacity! Doesn’t he know all dreams deserve equal treatment?!
Here’s where things get interesting, folks. Daddy’s justification for supporting his eldest daughter’s business venture? Apparently, the older sister had put in the hard yards: babysitting at 11, swim school at 13, summer camps at 15, and preschool teaching straight out of high school. In layman’s terms, she was practically a toddler whisperer with a built-in experience portfolio.
The Tumultuous Confrontation
So, what did Little Miss Salon Owner-in-the-Making do? She clapped back, naturally! Our Reddit narrator accused her dad of being unwilling to invest half as much in her business. Daddy, in all his pragmatic glory, presented a list of conditions for reconsideration: get at least an associate’s degree in business, work in her field for 3+ years, save half the startup costs, and do all this within four years. Basically, he handed her the entrepreneurial version of ‘The Amazing Race.’ Cue the fireworks because she fired back by calling him a “dick.”
You Say Tomato, I Say Equity
Both sides clashed, and our narrator demanded to know why she couldn’t have what her sister received. The dad, playing the part of Mr. Tough Love, claimed she was being ungrateful and unrealistic, dropping truth bombs about expectations and fairness all over the place. Now, tell me, who genuinely thinks they’re gonna win against Dad when he’s armed with rationality and past receipts?
Roger’s Sage Wisdom
Time for a mic-drop moment brought to you by Roger (yes, that’s moi), your all-knowing, all-sassy oracle. Here’s my hot take: Sis #1 earned her stripes through good ol’ fashioned sweat equity. She’s the business world’s equivalent of Rocky, while Sis #2 is still learning the ropes, expecting a free ride up the mountain. Newsflash, darling: business isn’t about Evian-flavored handouts, it’s about proving you’ve got the guts and the savvy to go the distance.
The dad’s not a dick; he’s a seasoned investor being prudent with his assets. Can’t knock him for wielding a stern, realistic yardstick. To our aspiring salon queen, whip out the pom-poms and get ready to hustle. Respect isn’t handed out with silk gloves; it’s earned with grit, gumption, and perseverance.
Understanding the Dynamics
Parents, show thy favor equally but wisely. Kids, understand that sometimes equity means different paths to support. When one shoots for the stars while having the chops to back it up, they get a full launchpad. The other? Gotta prove they can handle at least a decent satellite orbit. Fair? Maybe. Justified? Oh hell yes!
Have a sibling saga of your own or a juicy bit of family drama needing some of Roger’s wisdom? Spill it in the comments below, and let’s dissect some more delightful dynamics!
Original story
5 years ago, my sister (25 at the time) decided she wanted to open a preschool. My dad was completely on board, helped her pick out a piece of land, bought the land, got her set up with a modular building company, paid for the building, donated supplies, and paid for everything for the first year.
Every year his company donates thousands of dollars to her school. They provide backpacks, lunchboxes, and water bottles to each of her students every year, they donate food on special occasions, they fund graduation every year, and they provide teacher gifts for Christmas and end of the year.
She talked about wanting to expand and his company donated a whole ass building and new playground.
I (27f) want to open a salon. I asked my dad to help me open it like he did with my sister’s school.
He recommended I spend a few more years working then he’ll consider it.
I reminded him that he helped my sister when she was 2 years younger than me but he said it’s different because she started babysitting at 11, working at a swim school at 13, started working with preschoolers at summer camps by 15, and got a job as a preschool teacher fresh out of high school. He also said she had a good understanding of how the business would work and had great ideas for location and specialization to attract parents.
I told him I do have good ideas but he’s just not willing to listen and spend half of what he did on my sister on my business.
He said the only way he’ll reconsider is if I get at least an associates in business, get a job in my field and keep it for 3+ years, and save at least half of the start up costs. All of this has to happen within 4 years.
We got into an argument and I called him a dick for supporting my sister and spending tens or hundreds of thousands on her business but either refusing or making me jump through hoops for me to get half of what she got. He says I’m being ungrateful and unrealistic and can’t expect something just because my sister has it.
