Teen Cuts Ties With Adoptive Parents After They Skip Graduation To Buy ‘Rare’ Labubu For Younger Sister

By Khadija Pervez – Community | 29 July 2025

A Graduation Overshadowed

For a lot of students, graduating from high school is one of the most memorable moments. It’s a symbol of years of effort determination, dedication, and the passage into adulthood. Family members travel from state to state, parents get their seats before the scheduled time and parents beam with pride when their child takes the stage.

For one teenager, this day became a bitter memory of the place she was within her adopted family.

Instead of attending for her to support her, the parents sat out all of her graduation ceremonies to buy the “rare” collectible toy — – a Labubu doll for the younger sibling of her.

Now, the 18-year-old claims she has ended any contact with them.

What Is Labubu And Why The Obsession?

If you haven’t seen it before, Labubu is the big-eyed, spiky-haired collectible model that has grown into something of a cult. It was first introduced in 2006 in the year 2012 by Chinese label Pop Mart, Labubu has grown into a global phenomenon.

In the past month, Google logged 48 million searches for the toy along with another half million people looking specifically to find “Labubu fake.” Social media platforms are overflowing with unboxing video clips, trading groups and resale marketplaces where dolls are sold for several hundred dollars.

For both adults and children The characters have an almost shrine-like appeal. In the case of this family the trend came with a significant emotional price.

“Princess Was Always The Favourite”

The teenager shared her story anonymously on Reddit she shared the reasons why her family adopted her as a newborn after battling infertility. After eight years, the couple welcomed their biological daughter whom who they called Princess the so-called “miracle baby.”

From her point of view, the birth was the most important thing that changed everything.

“Princess was spoiled and clearly the favorite,” she wrote. “She never got in trouble, was always right, got WHATEVER she wanted and acted HOWEVER she wanted.”

In contrast, the teen was left out. Once she was capable of driving she spent the majority of her time out of the home in the company of her boyfriend’s family, who in her words “loved her like their own.”

Graduation Day Gone Wrong

The graduation ceremony was supposed to be distinct. She had hoped, if only for a moment, to have her parents adopt put her over her younger sister’s needs.

When the time came she stumbled across an online advertisement for the very rare Labubu keychain with plush accessible in the local market.

“Instead of contacting the seller and arranging to buy it the next day, my parents went to get it right then,” the teenager explained.

So as a result, they did not attend the ceremony. As they finally arrived, the time had passed. The damage was irreparable.

The Price Tag Stung Even More

The insults didn’t stop after their departure.

In her post her post, the family paid 350 dollars on the Princess’s toy the next day which was more than twice the $150 present they purchased to celebrate their daughter’s graduation.

The difference in financial value according to her, has only accentuated the emotional conflict.

“I was hurt,” she wrote. “After my graduation I didn’t bother the students and returned home together with my husband. I’ve moved in with him now. Every time I visit “home” it’s to pick up my belongings.”

Parents Plead For Forgiveness

Since then the adoption, her adoptive parents have been trying to fix the relationship.

They apologized via text and repeatedly called her and even showed to her boyfriend’s home to plead for forgiveness. However, the teen says that the words they sent out sound hollow.

“The worst part of it all,” she wrote, “is that they think that it’s because of the money. They gave an additional hundred bucks that to repair it. I was unable to speak with them.”

The Internet Reacts

It’s not surprising that the post received the attention of many on social media. A majority of commenters agreed with the teen, calling the parents’ decision in the post as “heartbreaking” and “unforgivable.”

A user posted “Graduation occurs once an life time. Toys aren’t a priority. The priorities of their employees were clearly defined and it was not that they were going to .”

Some people suggested that the parents’ actions reflected the deeper patterns of favoritism and is particularly difficult to deal with for adoptive families.

“Kids always notice when they are treated differently,” another commenter wrote. “Being the oldest, being adopted, being less ‘special’ in their eyes — that can cut deep.”

A Wider Debate: The Impact Of Parental Favouritism

Psychologists have for years studied the negative effects of siblings’ favoritism and the studies have consistently shown that children who view themselves as “less favored” often suffer in the long run from emotional effects.

A study from 2022 of researchers at the University of California found that children who were exposed to obvious parental bias are more likely have low self-esteem and strained relationships with family members, and an increased chances of breaking up into adulthood.

In this instance the symbolic significance of Labubu -as a toy that was regarded as more important than the achievement of a landmark — has reportedly exploded into decades of unresolved frustration.

Why Labubu Matters More Than Just A Toy

Surprisingly, it may appear like a quaint tale of parents who are chasing a collectible. However, for many this story is about something much more that is the way in which consumers’ culture can conflict with the values of family.

For a child of a younger age the possession of a rare labubu might be the ultimate prize. Parents, giving the item to her might be an act of the love of.

For the girl who was on her own at her graduation ceremony with no parents present the message was different: she wasn’t the primary focus.

Where Things Stand Now

In the post, which was posted by the teen the teen lives entirely in the home of her partner’s parents. She doesn’t plan to reconcile with her adopted parents anytime soon despite their numerous apology requests.

“I’m done,” she said. “They have shown me exactly where I am. And I don’t have to beg to be a part of the lives of their loved ones.”

For the parents she adopted It is unclear if they really comprehend the extent of the damage causedor, as with the many others who have been caught up in the Labubu phenomenon, they underestimated the costs of the obsession.

Final Thought

Graduation occurs once. The collection of things you want to keep can be put off.

For one teen, the choice her parents made the day wasn’t just about a toy; they were the ones the person who was most important. In her eyes, their choice was more powerful than any apology ever could.

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