Would Any Parent on Here Admit to having a Favourite Child?

[ladybirder]

A new book claims 95 percent of the parents in the world have a favourite child, and the other five percent are lying. Do you have a favourite child?

http://www.dailymail....rents-favourites.html

[I.Don No]

I'm with Roseanne on this one..............I hate them all the same!

[nannybooby]

I only had one child so I dont know but I was the youngest of 6 and my Dads favourite ,while my sister (10 years older ) was my Mums ....until my mum got older and my sister decided she was in charge then I became my mums fav.

[ladybirder]

Anne, personally I don't think it's a case of CHOOSING a favourite child, I wouldn't have thought a parent would deliberately do that. I think it's probably more a case of it happening almost subconsciously. Maybe a particular child was very ill at some point and you feared you might lose him/her and subsequently found that child more precious to you than the others. Or as they get older it could be that for whatever reason you develop a stronger closer bond with one child than another. Could it be that some just aren't very nice and a parent might find it hard to love that child. Or could it be that a partnership breaks down with one parent feeling particularly bitter, with the consequence that the child of that union becomes less loved once children of a happier union are born. I really don't think you would consciously choose to love one child more than another. But maybe I'm wrong.
Perhaps someone who has said yes might like to share why they feel that way. Maybe they don't even know themselves.

[craft1948]

I only have one child, but there are days when I prefer the dog............

[Ankou]

i much prefer my two girls over anyone elses children, so yes i suppose i do favour them.

[Rodge2]

My mother had a favourite child, I would say, (although she would not have actually have admitted it). But that was probably because he was in poor health, and she therefore had to do more mothering, which she liked.

[ladybirder]

Rodge, so if your mother never admitted it how do you know? Couldn't it have been that she just gave him more attention because she had to but not because she loved him more? I don't think most people want to admit it and those that do, risk being treated with disdain by other parents. It seems as if you are judged to have something wrong with you or are a bad parent for voicing your true feelings. Probably easier to deny it or remain silent.

[lcg]

my brother was (and still is) definately the 'golden boy' of the family as a whole, even though he is a drug-addled lazy broccoli. he is on his thrid marriage, treats his kids and wife like crap, grows drugs in his attic, crashes his car because he is stoned all the time and is generally a waste of space.

i only have one child, so he has always been my favourite! i deliberately only had one because i was so young (17), had a crap childhood myself and didn't think i would cope well with more than that. i'm gald i did because we have always been skint and had to work loads, so he has had the focus of our attention and had a reasonable life so far - not spoilt, but he has turned out into a well rounded young man and i've no idea how i managed it (as i had such a bad example of parenting myself).

i can't imagine how things would have turned out if i'd had more, but i know i would have struggled and probably been a more rubbish parent as a result - possibly leading to the continuation of bad family dynamics and children who hated me. i quite like having one who i get on with and our relationship is changing as he matures into a young man.

on the subject of the op - my best friend's family (with 3 kids) definately has a favourite and they all suffer from the 'typical' oldest/youngest/middle child syndromes...and each of the parent has a favourite with my best mate being left out. i don't think anybody does it on purpose, but you can't always get on with everybody, can you? as a wise man once said: 'they f*ck you up, your mum and dad...' x

[Rodge2]

I know ladybirder, just because of how much we were always told of his virtues. He was smashing, don't get me wrong, but so were my other siblings too. I suppose a child who has a serious and debilitating illness is often less able to strike out independently and that may make career-mothers feel that this child is special. If he'd been well, he'd no doubt have been brushing her off earlier in the relationship. My dad was fab though, and never ever made a difference, everyone was treated exactly the same and there was never a hint of favouritism.

[tamborine]

Yep, my daughter as we have more in common than I do with my sons

[didoatwork]

I LOVE all my children 100% although I don't alway LIKE what they do!

[EvianBaby]

I remind my Dad daily that I'm his favourite.

[fairycakes69]

Yep have to admit it I have favourite, not sure why it is this one, as he is the one who has the least to do with the family, he has never been ill. Could be cos he is so like their dad, who knows. he seems to think it is his big sis and he is number two. I get on so much better with the other 4, and they all seem to know it's him, I did'nt realise until it was pointed out, thought about it and agreed. What a bad mum I am lol.

[jno]

a book claims 5% are lying? Is the author psychic, by any chance?