Have you been told by your parents that they love you all equally? Well, they’re lying. Studies show that parents are bound to play favorites among their children (unless you’re an only child. Then you’re the favorite by default).
Mums and dads generally don’t have the same favorite child. An well-known study shows that 70% of fathers and 65% of mothers show favoritism among siblings. For fathers, it is usually the youngest girl that is daddy’s favorite. For mothers, the oldest boy is mama’s boy.
This study was only able to detect those who outwardly showed favoritism. Many parents are actually experts in appearing neutral. For all we know, the numbers could actually be a good deal higher.
According to Time, showing favoritism is hardly abnormal. It is behavior genetically encoded within our species. From an evolutionary standpoint, the main concern of able parents is to support the child that will be able to carry on genetically superior genes. This influences the parent to steer extra attention or other treats towards the way of the favored child, even if they don’t realize it.
Who this favored child depends on the preferences of the parents: for some, the choice is by who is the smartest, or the prettiest, or the most athletic.
However, counter studies have found that some parents tend to favor the child that is least capable. This is especially true for mothers who exhibit strong protective maternal instincts to the child who cannot properly take care of his or herself.
Regardless of statistics, most parents try hard to be as neutral as possible when dealing with their kids. And as any child will attest, that counts for a lot.
