You know it's not just family, it's a general occurrence. Women tend behave this way in work place's too. It's sad but true, a lot of it has to do with the "big dog in the pack". You know Alpha male well people don't really talk about the Alpha female syndrome. But I think this type of behavior will never cease.

Maybe you've stumbled across something Lily. In society we are taught that women are nuturing and supportive. However if you stop and think, women have moved away from this sterotype more and more. That soft side that women are so capable of is vanishing more and more.

you know actually ... I thought about this like last week more in reference to my daughters and me vs my daughters and my hubby. I am much harder on the girls than he is I expect them to do just as much as the boys and I dont let the teary eyed daddy please nonsense deter me, whereas he gives in at least a little. And I really think it has to do with..
I am a female I know what I have worked for and what as a woman I am able to accomplish. The; there are bugs, its too hot, too heavy, blah blah blah thing doesnt effect me when it comes from the girls because I know if I can handle it so can they... but guys... most guys still feel then need to protect their women and some to my very aggravated dismay still feel like woman are somewhat inferior on a lot of things and thus they are too soft on their daugthers. I think that the same theory goes for woman to woman... we know what we ourselves can handle and accomplish and have very little patience for others not falling under those same values decisions and circumstances... where as because we women have this soft spot for our poor husbands and sons that have to deal with sooo much (;-) ) we tend to forgive them their misnomers as opposed to the woman who did the same thing.

Very well put Mom_of_4!!!

You may have something there, Momof4, but I think it's a poor excuse for treating other women like we do. After all, just because one woman can do with something doesn't mean all women can deal with it.

I do agree with the husband/son thing, though more so with sons than husbands. My sister coddles her son all the time and is very hard on her daughter, so much so that my niece knows that her brother can get away with almost anything because he dissolves into tears and pulls on mommy's heartstrings. Once when she called me about something he'd gotten in trouble for at school, I said, "What would you do if Sarah had done that?" She admitted her daughter would be grounded for a week and probably lose other privileges as well. I said, "Well, do the same for him." She actually protested!

Hi, Lilly

I think the issue is that female roles are one average more similar that male roles. My sister in law is a great example of an alpha female. My husband's great aunt, and also my step-daughter are alpha females.

Regarding my sister in law, she has one son who is in his 40's. He has never married. No young lady has ever been good enough, and so he keeps moving on. It's as though she is in a competition with each one of them. I felt that way the first time I came to visit her, but as long as I didn't try to compete with her in any way, we get along fine.
What I mean by that is that I make sure she looks better than me at everything. She still puts me in my place in front of everyone, but I only see her once or twice a year, and it's clear what the script is, so I let it go.

"Stepmoms rip into biomoms. Biomoms hate stepmoms."

Its territorial in nature. The degree varies, depending on the tone of the divorce and the conditions that arise afterwards.

Its vary hard for women on either side of the fence not to have animosity when they view the situation as unequal.

I agree women do compete with one another for territory. But I also think there are certain types of women who are more that way then others. That is were the problem comes in. If some women would think before the say or do certain things on how this will effect the other women involved it would be a better world. But some women do not consider other people feelings and think the world revolves around them.