Time to fess up! Science says parents do have a favourite kid

It was an age-old question in my household growing up: Which one of us three kids is mom's favourite? And what about dad's? It's a question that comes up in most households, too. According to my two younger sisters, I'm my parents' favourite offspring. But if you asked me, I would say my parents favour my youngest sibling. And if you ask my parents, well, they would say what all parents do: "We love all of you equally!"

But do they really?

Now, there's scientific proof that parents actually do favour one kid over the other, according to a recently resurfaced study. The researchers studied 384 families, each with a pair of siblings that were four years apart. They found that 74 percent of moms and 70 percent of dads reported favouritism toward one of the kids.

But here's where this study isn't doing me, the eldest kid, any favours: The researchers found that first-borns reported being the favourite child. Gasp! The study also showed that favouritism affected the youngest sibling's self-esteem the most, but it didn't affect the older sibling's, contrary to popular belief.

So, the facts are in and now it's honesty time: Do you have a favourite kid?

Read more: What to do when your child prefers one parent over the other
Is it natural for parents to have a favourite child?
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