Are You the Youngest Child? You’re Probably Your Parents’ Favourite
Your older siblings’ deepest, darkest suspicions have come true. It may be karma for all the times they played pranks on you, but the mums of Mumsnet have spoken, and as the youngest child, you’re most likely to be your parent’s favourite.
In a study conducted on 1,185 of Mumsnet users, nearly a quarter admitted to having a favourite child, with 61 per cent admitting it was the youngest because they find your older brothers or sisters more “tricky or demanding”. Don’t hold back, mum.
Chances are, you've earned golden child status because you’re a chip off the old block. Of the users who confessed to having a preferred child, 41 per cent stated that the favourite reminded them of themselves, while more than half said that the child made them laugh more than their other offspring.
If you’re reading this as an older sibling you’re probably concerned about the ramifications of being raised by a family of snakes. Well, there’s hope for you yet, since 26 per cent of the parents surveyed said that their favourite child was their eldest.
And to add fuel to this already raging inferno, those mums been backed by 1,111 grans of Gransnet. Of those surveyed, 42 per cent confessed that they had showed preference to one of their grandchildren – a damning blow for grans across the UK – with 39 per cent preferring the eldest.
However, they all felt really guilty about it. More than half of both Mumsnet and Gransnet users felt that having a favourite child was “awful”, with more than three quarters of the parents adding that it would be damaging for siblings.
No matter whether you're oldest or youngest, it's important to check your privilege. After all, at least you're not the middle child.
