Thank you for typing this out, I hope OP sees it.

But yeah, after reading your comment, it finally makes sense. And I remember my parents doing the same thing once or twice. Now that you've brought it up, I'd be willing to bet her cousins have endured similar / other treatment by their parents to give them something to brag about. She might want to talk to her closest cousin, find out if her aunts / uncles do the same thing. Imagine all the cousins getting together and blowing the lid off of the whole thing.