Definition: When parents create an impenetrable shield of accommodations around one child using their medical condition as a perpetual hall pass, rendering siblings functionally invisible. The golden child gets coddled like radioactive material while the other kid survives on emotional crumbs. Parents often weaponize “we’re doing our best” to dodge accountability, turning family dinners into a soundproof hostage situation. Ultimately, it breeds lifelong resentment camouflaged as compassion.
Example: My parents enforced silent meals because of Dave’s misophonia, so I ate in the garage for a decade.
Now they’re shocked I eloped and listed my goldfish as next of kin.