Dad used his connections to land both his kids top internships. When only his stepson got hired, his daughter accused him of favoritism
'She has decided that I think she's unlikable...' he said
One dad (u/acceptable-star-98) feels overwhelmed by the emotional divide that has suddenly materialized between his daughter Hailey and his stepson Hamza. Despite loving both of them equally, he's now being accused of favoring his son. For years, he has used his professional connections to help his kids land top internships. On August 25, 2026, he took to Reddit to reveal his daughter has been blaming him for favoritism after Hamza landed a paid opportunity at the same internship she failed. His post has since garnered over 6,000 upvotes.
AITA for refusing to get my daughter the same internship as my stepson?
by u/Acceptable-Star-98 in AmItheAsshole
The internship advantage
The man shared that he has been in the finance department for the past 20 years and has built a good network of connections across different firms. He also confessed that he has often used these connections to help both Hailey and Hamza land suitable internships. "Both of them have gotten internships through me... opportunities that a lot of other kids aren't fortunate enough to have," the dad confessed. He also explained that he can only recommend his children, but once they start the internship, he can’t control whether they move forward to the next level.
The parenting dilemma
The man said that although Hailey, his daughter, is a bright student, she lacks the skills for a finance profile, which is why she hasn’t seen much success in the internships. On the other side, Hamza seems to have a knack for research and has been excelling in his projects. In fact, he was offered a paid position in the same company where Hailey fell flat. Ever since then, Hamza's sister has been brooding over him for getting into a “better” position while she is left in an embarrassing muddle, and she’s now blaming her father. "She has decided that I think she's unlikable, and the only way to prove that I don't think that is to get her another internship," the author said. However, he added that he can't risk his reputation by getting her another internship.
The hidden price
A StandOutResume survey found that 7 in 10 (70.2%) people have landed a job or interview via a personal connection. Of those who helped their loved one or family member get a job, 71.6% said it complicated their personal relationships. In contrast, 65% of the children who got into their parents’ occupations could have earned more if they had chosen an occupation best suited to them, City University of New York noted. But like Hailey, several children remain entrenched in chasing occupations they are not suited for, which adds to their perpetual distress and negative outcomes.
'Not your fault'
Meanwhile, Reddit readers empathized with Hailey’s distress. However, from a logical perspective, they urged her father to make her understand that her talents and interests might lie elsewhere. For instance, u/MarketingAromatic751 commented, "Not your fault, your company hired one and didn’t hire the other. That’s just how it is. Both got the same from you.” Similarly, u/RoyallyOakie added, “You initially gave them both an equal opportunity to succeed. The fact that your daughter can't see the reasons why she didn't succeed means that she still needs lots of skill-setting and self-reflection to do.”
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