'AITA for reacting badly to my sister's Christmas presents?'

"AITA for reacting badly to my sisters Christmas presents?"

I want to start by saying I’m grateful for my presents, but I feel conflicted and need some insight.

I’m 18, and my 9 year old sister, who’s on the spectrum, lives with me and my mum. My other siblings have moved out. I’ve always felt that my mum favors my little sister over me, and I know she tries to balance things when I get things so my sister doesn’t feel left out, but sometimes it feels overdone.

Some examples: When we got a new downstairs TV, I was given the old one. My mum and stepdad (my sister’s biological dad) bought her a larger, newer TV, which she doesn’t even use now.

I have Tourette’s and non-epileptic seizures, and I once broke my phone accidentally. They replaced it with a very old Samsung, which I was fine with because it worked.

But then they bought my sister an iPhone XR, even though she already had my old iPhone 8 Plus, which was still functional. Later, they got me an XR too, but only because I seemed “jealous” for questioning why she needed one.

A few years ago, I got a second-hand Lenovo laptop for school, which was slow but fine. Then my sister was gifted a new Google Chromebook that also worked as a tablet. I was shocked since she had already broken several laptops, and, as expected, she broke this one too.

Today, on Christmas, I was thrilled to get second-hand Lenovo laptop from my mum. It’s slightly slow but works well enough for my coursework, which I’ve been struggling to complete without one. But then my sister opened her present and it was an Apple iPad with a magnetic keyboard and case.

I don’t know if I’m jealous, or if it’s frustration over her getting expensive things despite her track record of breaking them. Either way, I feel awful for having these emotions. Am I the bad person for feeling this way? I really need an outside perspective. AITA?

Let's see what readers thought:

afha0 writes:

NTA. However, I think the people you should be mad at primarily are your parents, who treat your sister as the golden child, and you as Cinderella. You would not be wrong to tell them how you feel when they do this, and ask them why they treat you as a second class child.

play23 writes:

NTBA. Mom of an 11m here, I would not buy my son expensive gifts like this when he has proven he’s destructive. I have a feeling her parents are over compensating due to her ASD diagnosis.

Doesn’t make it right and it’s not okay for you to always be receiving secondhand goods. I’m sorry you’re having to go through this! Just know, it’s not on you and you’re deserving and worthy of new and better things!!