Parents Do Have a Favorite Child

Here's how to tell if it's you....

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.

Overall, both mothers and fathers tend to favor daughters. Parents also favor children who “demonstrate responsibility and organization in their daily lives,” like completing homework on time and keeping their rooms clean.

Agreeable” children are more likely to be favored as well…basically, those who make parents’ lives easier by helping to maintain a healthy family dynamic.

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.