Research confirming what we always knew…
One in 12 parents have a favourite child.
Responding to a survey, just to note it was anonymously, 62 per cent of parents said they preferred one child more than another, with older siblings and children they felt they could do more things with coming out on top.
Of those who admitted having a favourite, 8 per cent said they treated this child differently.
Around 42 per cent of parents cited having a “stronger bond” with their child as a reason for preferring one over another. Older children were favourites in a quarter of cases as parents said they felt they could do more things with them.
A total of 1,237 parents with at least two children aged three and over took part in the survey.
It’s okay when you know you’re the favourite…
The survey was conducted in the UK, just to console any weeping readers…
Of those who confessed to giving one child more attention than others, 45 per cent said it was because they had different needs and one fifth said it was simply because they spent different amounts of time with their children.
It hasn’t been the only survey conducted about the touchy subject. There was also a trend identified in a 2009 study of nearly 15,000 families in the UK which found that younger children received less care and attention than their older siblings, with the amount of attention decreasing with each successive sibling.
