Here’s a dirty little secret: Parents DO have a favorite child . . . and if you’re wondering if it’s you, maybe you ARE the chosen one.
A study analyzed data from over 19,000 participants, and found that parents do treat their children differently . . . and the way they choose their “favorites” is more systematic than you might think.
Here are FIVE interesting takeaways:
1. Both mothers and fathers tend to favor daughters.
2. Parents favor children who “demonstrate responsibility and organization in their daily lives,” like completing homework on time and keeping their rooms clean.
3. “Agreeable” children are more likely to be favored. These are the kids who “show cooperation and consideration in family life” . . . basically, those who make parents’ lives easier by helping to maintain a healthy family dynamic.
(Are you someone who makes planning family dinners and gatherings EASIER by helping take care of any loose ends . . . or are you someone who is always complicating things by bringing unexpected guests, not committing to a schedule, or making a lot of personal requests.)
4. Birth order matters, but not for favoritism. Parents tend to give older siblings more autonomy, like later curfews or more freedom to make decisions. But they are NOT more likely to favor older siblings just because they were first.
5. Many aspects of parental favoritism are more subtle than you’d think. For example, in some cases, parents acknowledged treating one child more favorably, but those children themselves didn’t report noticing any differences in treatment.
(Well okay . . . but did their SIBLINGS notice anything different?)
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