Dear Abby: My sister, the favored child, believes the lie my father tells about me

Family Feuds and Fictions: When Parental Lies Complicate Relationships.

Growing up, one child was subjected to a barrage of verbal abuse while the younger sibling was largely spared. The favored child now finds herself estranged from her father after she bravely confronted him about his mistreatment. However, he has successfully spun the narrative that it was her who ended their relationship and disowned her from the family.

The favored child is struggling to maintain a connection with her sister while navigating this complex web of family dynamics. As her sibling has always been shielded from the truth, she remains entrenched in the father's fabricated story. The favored child seeks advice on how to mend bridges with her sister without becoming embroiled in her father's fabrication.

Experts advise that other family members who witnessed the dynamic between the favored child and her father could potentially vouch for the truth. However, if that's not feasible, it may be necessary to avoid discussing the sensitive subject altogether to maintain a relationship with the sibling.
 
πŸ˜• I feel so bad for this favored child who's going through such a tough time. It's like, her dad's lies are affecting not just her own relationships but also her sister's perceptions of reality 🀯. The fact that he's trying to spin the narrative and make his daughter the one who ended things with him is just infuriating πŸ™„.

I think it's really important for this favored child to have a support system that believes her and knows what she's going through πŸ’–. And yeah, having family members vouch for the truth could be really helpful in setting the record straight πŸ“. But at the same time, it's also possible that some people might not want to get involved or might not be willing to speak up – that's just a bummer πŸ˜”.

Ultimately, I think this situation is all about finding a way to navigate these complicated family dynamics without losing touch with each other 🀝. It's gonna take time, patience, and a lot of heart πŸ’•.
 
I feel so bad for this girl, she's been through so much πŸ€•. Her dad is literally playing her like a fiddle, and now she's trying to navigate a complicated web of family relationships while dealing with the emotional fallout. I think it's crazy that he's trying to make her out to be the villain when she's the one who finally found the courage to speak up against him. His narrative is just plain messed up πŸ™„. What I would do is try to have a calm and honest conversation with my sister, no matter how uncomfortable it might get. We may not always see eye-to-eye, but at least we'd be on the same page about what's real and what's not. I also think the dad needs to take responsibility for his actions instead of trying to shift the blame πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ.
 
😱 This is so crazy how family dynamics can get messed up! I mean, who would've thought that a little white lie from dad could lead to such hurt and estrangement? 🀯 It's heartbreaking for both siblings, especially the younger one who had no idea what was going on. My advice would be to have an open and honest conversation with your sister ASAP πŸ—£οΈ, but I get it if she's not ready to hear the truth yet... just being supportive and showing her that you care can go a long way ❀️. Maybe consider getting some family mediation help? πŸ’¬ It's not easy, but sometimes a neutral third party can help clear up misunderstandings and work towards healing 🌈.
 
omg can u believe this? so some dad lies 2 his kids & one of them rages against him, then he tries 2 spin the narrative & get away w/it? like, what's up w/ that?! πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ anyway, it's so messed up that the sibling who's always been in the dark is now stuck w/ believing this lies. i feel for her tho, navigating family drama is hard enough without having 2 deal w/ a messed up fam member. u think its best 4 her 2 just move on & not engage w/ him? or is it better 4 her 2 try & clear the air w/ her sister first? i dunno what 2 do πŸ€”
 
this is soooo sad for the fav child πŸ€•... i feel like she's stuck between right & wrong... she wants 2 mend her bond w/ her sis but can't bare 2 face her dad's lies... πŸ˜’ it's hard enough when u know what really happened, let alone trying 2 get others 2 believe u when they already been brainwashed 🀯
 
πŸ˜©πŸ€• can you believe this? like, I have siblings too and I know how hard it is to deal with parents who just don't get it πŸ™„. The favored child sounds like she's going through a super tough time right now 🀯. It's not fair that her dad is making up these stories about her when he's the one who messed up in the first place 😑.

I think it's actually really brave of the favored child to confront her dad and stand up for herself, even if it did lead to this mess πŸ™Œ. And now she's trying to fix things with her sister? that's some serious emotional labor right there πŸ’ͺ. I'm not sure what to say, but maybe the experts are right - sometimes just being quiet and not engaging in drama is the best approach πŸ‘Š.

But honestly, I think it would be really helpful if more people could talk about family dynamics like this 🀝. It's so hard to navigate these relationships when there's all this underlying tension and hurt πŸ˜”. Can we please have a convo about how to deal with parental lies and complicated family relationships? πŸ’¬
 
I'm like "seriously?" how can one parent just lie so much about their kid? It's not fair to either child. I feel bad for both of them. The favored child is clearly hurt, and now she's stuck in this crazy situation where her own family doesn't believe her 🀯. And that younger sibling... poor thing! She has no idea what was going on behind the scenes. I think it's really important to have a calm conversation with her about the truth, but not at the moment, maybe when both of them are in a good headspace πŸ€”. It's gonna be tough for the favored child to deal with all this drama, but I hope she finds a way to set things straight and move on ❀️.
 
I think this is a pretty messed up situation πŸ€•. The fact that dad's trying to make his own daughter out to be the bad guy is just a huge blowout of emotions and entitlement. I mean, who does he think he is? And now his other kid's caught in the middle, feeling guilty for not knowing the truth but also struggling to connect with her sister because she believes what dad's fed her πŸ€¦β€β™€οΈ.

If we're being real, sometimes family dynamics can be super messy and it's hard to know who to trust. But instead of avoiding the issue, maybe they should try having a big ol' family chat about everything that went down? Get all the truth out there and work through it together... but only if everyone's ready to listen and not take sides 🀝.
 
πŸ€• I've seen this play out in my own family with my siblings, and trust me, it's no picnic. The favored child (who we'll call 'Sis') is trying to do the right thing by speaking up about the abuse, but now Dad's made her out to be the bad one. It's heartbreaking for Sis because she can't even have a decent conversation with her sister without getting caught in the web of lies.

I think it's really tough for Sis right now. She wants to reach out to her sister and repair their relationship, but if she talks about Dad's abuse, her sibling might just believe the story he's spun. It's like, how can you explain that your own dad is lying? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ And then there are family members who do witness the dynamic, but we all know not everyone wants to get involved in a messy family drama. Maybe it's true that some people just need space and time to process their emotions.

My advice would be for Sis to focus on rebuilding her relationship with her sister, even if they don't talk about Dad right now. They can start with small things – sharing a meal, watching a movie together – and work their way up. It might take some time, but if they can find common ground, that's what matters most. πŸ’•
 
.. this is so messed up πŸ€•. I remember when I was younger, my family had some drama too but nothing like this. My brother and sister were always close, even though we never got along with our parents. But at least they knew the truth about how cold our parents were to them.

This favored child situation is just heartbreaking πŸ˜”. I feel so bad for her that she's been manipulated into believing it was her who messed things up with their dad. That must be super tough on her, trying to maintain a relationship with her sister without getting drawn back in. And the fact that experts are saying other family members should just keep quiet about it... it's like, don't they want to protect these girls? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ
 
I FEEL SO BAD FOR THE FAVORED CHILD! IT'S LIKE, SHE'S TRYING TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH HER SISTER BUT EVERY TIME THEY GET CLOSER, HER DAD COMES OUT WITH THIS WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY! IT'S LIKE, HE'S TRYING TO GUILT HER INTO BELIEVING HIS LIES. 🀯

I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR THE FAVORED CHILD TO STAND STRONG AND TELL HER SISTER THE TRUTH, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, SHE HAS TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO FIGHT WITH HER SISTER OVER IT. IT'S LIKE, THEY'RE ALREADY BARELY TALKING TO EACH OTHER AS IT IS. I WISH THE FAVORED CHILD COULD JUST HAVE AN OPEN AND HONEST CONVERSATION WITH HER SISTER WHERE SHE CAN SHARE HER SIDE OF THE STORY WITHOUT FEELING GUILTY OR ANGRY. πŸ’”

AND OMG, IF OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WERE TO COME FORWARD AND CONFIRM THE TRUTH, THAT WOULD BE AMAZING! BUT EVEN IF THEY DON'T, I THINK IT'S STILL IMPORTANT FOR THE FAVORED CHILD TO KEEP TRYING TO REACH OUT TO HER SISTER AND WORK ON THEIR RELATIONSHIP. IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT, RIGHT? 🀞
 
I JUST THINK IT'S SO SAD WHEN FAMILIES GET ALL MIXED UP LIKE THIS!!! πŸ€• THE FAVORED CHILD IS GOING THROUGH SO MUCH AND IT'S NOT EVEN FAIR THAT HER DAD IS TRYING TO MAKE HER LOOK BAD IN FRONT OF HER SISTER!!! 😩 I FEEL LIKE HER SISTER WOULD COME AROUND IF SHE KNEW THE TRUTH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY SHE DOESN'T BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN SHIELDED FROM IT ALL THESE YEARS. πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ IN THIS CASE, I THINK IT'S BETTER FOR HER TO JUST IGNORE THE WHOLE THING AND NOT WASTE ANY MORE TIME ON IT.
 
πŸ˜’ I mean, come on... can't we just have an honest conversation about our family drama without resorting to gaslighting? It's soooo stressful for everyone involved! 🀯 And what's up with the dad trying to control the narrative like this? 😑 My sister and I had a similar situation with my aunt (turns out she was the one being super manipulative, btw), but at least we're on the same page now. We just have to be careful not to get pulled into our family members' dramas... it's exhausting! 🀯 Can't we all just take responsibility for our own actions and stop trying to deflect blame? πŸ™„
 
πŸ€” This is so messed up! I mean, can you believe this dad would turn his own daughter against herself like that? πŸ™…β€β™€οΈ It's like something straight out of The Handmaid's Tale - all manipulative and controlling.

But seriously, it's no wonder the favored child feels estranged from her family right now. It's like she's caught in a real-life Game of Thrones, where family loyalty is thrown out the window for power and control. 🀯

I think the experts are right that other family members could come to their aid here - I mean, someone has gotta call this dad out! πŸ‘Š But at the same time, it can be super hard to navigate these kinds of situations without causing more hurt or tension.

Ultimately, I think it's all about finding a way for the favored child to communicate her feelings and experiences with her sister in a way that feels safe and honest. Maybe even seeking out some therapy or counseling together - who knows, they might actually come out stronger on the other side? πŸ’ͺ
 
I feel so bad for this girl, she just wants to reconnect with her sister but dad's lies are making it super hard πŸ€•. I think its really important for other family members to speak up and tell their side of the story, like in that show "This Is Us" where Kevin's adoption is a big plot point - people should come forward and help set the record straight πŸ’―. But if no one wants to get involved, it's def not worth getting into a fight about, especially when family relationships are already complicated πŸ€”. Maybe she could try writing a letter or something, like in that movie "The Notebook" where they share their feelings through letters - might help clear the air πŸ’•.
 
I feel so bad for that poor girl who got verbally abused as a kid πŸ€•. It's just unacceptable that her dad is now trying to cover it up and make her look like the bad one... I mean, come on! πŸ˜’ The fact that she's been estranged from him and he's disowned her is already so hurtful, but now he's trying to spin this whole thing? 🀯

It's crazy how some people can be so manipulative and gaslight their kids. And it's even more frustrating when the other siblings are caught in the middle... or in this case, shielded from the truth πŸ˜’. I think it's really tough for that favored child to navigate her feelings and try to mend bridges with her sister without getting sucked into her dad's fabrication. πŸ’”

Maybe what experts say is true - having other family members vouch for the truth could help? 🀝 But it sounds like that might not be an option, so maybe just avoiding the whole thing altogether might be the best bet? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ Either way, I hope that favored child finds some peace and healing soon πŸ’–.
 
It's so messed up how this dad is trying to turn the tables on his own kid πŸ€¦β€β™€οΈ. I mean, I get that he's got some serious regrets and all, but using manipulation like this? No good πŸ‘Ž. The fact that he's made his favorite child out to be the bad guy when in reality she was just standing up for herself? Not cool, dude πŸ˜’.

And what about the sister who's been living under a different narrative? She's got no idea what really went down between her dad and big sis πŸ€”. It's like, how can they even talk about reconnecting if one of them doesn't know the truth? πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ I'd say it's best to have an open conversation with all parties involved (if possible) or just keep it low-key for now ⚠️. Either way, this family drama is gonna take some serious TLC πŸ’Š.
 
I feel so bad for the younger sis πŸ€•. It's like she's living in a different reality where the truth doesn't exist πŸ˜’. The favored child is totally right to want to reconnect with her, but it's hard when the family dad is still spreading lies about it πŸ’”.

Here's a simple mind map to show how this situation can get messy:
```
+---------------+
| Sister (Shielded) |
+---------------+
|
|_______
| Lie (Dad's Story)
|
v
+---------------+
| Favored Child |
+---------------+
|
|_______
| Truth (Abuse)
```
It's like the truth is trapped behind a wall of lies 🚧. The favored child needs to find a way to break through that wall and reconnect with her sister, but it's not easy πŸ’ͺ.

Maybe if other family members can come forward and tell their own stories about what they saw or experienced, it could help clear things up πŸ—£οΈ. But even then, there's no guarantee the truth will be accepted πŸ€·β€β™€οΈ.
 
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