So, my family situation is a little bit odd, so I need to explain it. My dad works about 6 hours from where we live. They have spoken about moving there, but my mom leaving her job is not an option, and we don’t have enough money for her to not have a job. So I live with my mom, and my brother lives with my dad 6 hours away in the apartment my grandparents left my dad. Every other weekend my mom and I go there, while my brother and dad come here on the other weekends. It sucks, but right now that’s how it is.
For the most part we are a very close family. I love my parents very much, and I consider my mom to be one of my closest friends. I can tell her anything, and we hardly ever fight. My parents have dine everything they can to keep my brother and I happy, and for the most part, we are.
So this started about 2 years ago. I have done 3 science projects for school, and I have gotten really good marks on them. When my brother was in 6th grade he needed a science project. My parents couldn’t afford to buy the school material he would need to make a project, so they reused mine (they keep all of our projects and homework that have good marks). Not only did my brother get an A, the project went to the local fair and got first place. I was a little bit upset back then, but I understood why my parents did it, and I let it go. But this keeps happening. He has now entered 5 of my research papers and 2 book reports as well as a map of the world I drew.
I didn’t find out about the book reports and papers until last month when I saw one of his papers on the table and decided to read it, and thought it looked familiar. I confronted my brother and he told me that my parents said it was okay. So i talked to them and they told me that my brother has been having a really tough time in school. He doesn’t learn as fast as the others, and sometimes he just needs a little help. They have edited the papers a but so that it they aren’t identical, but all of the research is mine.
I get where they are coming from, and I understand that he needs to get good grades to get scholarships for college (we don’t have the money to pay for it..), but this isn’t fair on several levels.
I work really hard at school so that I can get scholarships. I want to go to college. It bugs me that someone else is benefiting from my hard work. But I also love my brother and I want him to succeed.
But isn’t it not fair on him too? He is missing out on the homework that is supposed to prepare us for college. If he can’t write a proper paper, then he won’t do very well after high school.
I don’t know, reddit. Am I out of line? I haven’t voiced my opinions to my parents because I want to support them. But I do feel angry about it. What should I do?
Tl;dr My parents have been letting my brother use work that I have done. They say that he is struggling in high school and he just needs help sometimes. Am I wrong to be upset?
