Here's a dirty little secret: Research found parents DO have a favorite child!
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.
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.
(Study Finds / American Psychological Association)
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