'MY mom is very open about who her favourite is – to this day, she calls my brother “the golden boy”. Ever since I can remember, she has been telling my sisters and me that her dream was to have five strapping sons,’ says Sarah*. ‘After each daughter was born, she’d convince my dad that they had to keep trying for a boy, until she eventually got the son she’d always longed for. She did all his school projects for him, right up until matric. Meanwhile, my sisters and I were forgotten at the school gates more times than I can count. We joke about it now – but it took years of counselling to get to this point.’
Sarah is now a mother of four herself – she also has three daughters and a son. ‘When I first found out that I was having a boy, my heart sank. The only example of a mother-son relationship I’d ever had was that of my mother and my brother, and I didn’t want to mimic that. But it has actually been very healing in a sense; I’ve realised that I don’t have to carry on the tradition of having daughters who feel less than; I can love them all equally but in different ways.’
‘My mother definitely favours my oldest child,’ says Kate*. ‘When I told her I was pregnant with my daughter, her first response was to tell me she felt sorry for him, as he’d be getting less attention with a baby in the house. And when my daughter was sick, she was more worried about her being contagious than anything else; she told me it “wasn’t fair” towards him!’
This story is from the March 2020 edition of Fairlady.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2020 edition of Fairlady.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Easter with edge
Grant knows what it's like to miss out on the celebrations that anchor family life.
The MALE bias
Historically, medical studies were mainly done on male mice and on men; and then extrapolated to treat women, as if a female body were just a smaller version of a male one. Here’s why that doesn’t make sense, and how to work with your body’s natural rhythm for better health.
Wellbeing
How to sleep better, feel better and look better!
The other type of CHEATING
Lies about money can have devastating consequences in a relationship.
THE 'PEST' IN PESTICIDES
oe r Despite many highly Hs hazardous pesticides being banned in their countries of origin, 192 of them are still legally exported to South Africa
START A BUSINESS LIKE a Saffer
There's nothing quite like a South African entrepreneur. In the face of adversity, they innovate and persevere. But what fuels that determination? We chatted to some self-starters to find out.
How to take the MONOTONY OUT OF MONOGAMY
It's easy to get complacent in a long-term relationship. Before you know it, your partner is little more than your roommate. Here's how to shake things up.
SUPER TROUPER
At one point, Josie Borain was the most famous model in the world. Her face was on every magazine that mattered. And in the madness of all that attention, she never lost her sense of self. She talks to us about turning 60, being single, and starting her third act with a move to the platteland.
Little wonder
Over the years we have visited 16 Greek islands, but when we first set foot on Halki, the little-known gem just south of Rhodes, we knew we'd found the closest thing to the perfect one. And we vowed to return. Often.
HOME AFFAIRS
These three entrepreneurs are redefining the heartbeat of homes through their unique blend of creativity, sustainability and purposeful design.