More than half of parents revealed they actually preferred their youngest child, while only 26 per cent said that their favourite child was their eldest. The reason being? 61 per cent of those who favoured their youngest said it was because the elder children are “tricky or demanding”.
The study, published in Psychological Bulletin , discovered parents tend to favor daughters slightly more than sons, although only parents tend to recognize the bias — children did not.
Not surprisingly for those of us who are middle children, middle children are the least likely to be favored. Daughters: Parents tend to report that they slightly favor daughters over sons (for both mothers and fathers).
As it turns out, your youngest sibling is most likely to be everyone's favorite sibling, but not because of anything they've done, in particular. Researchers asked the parents how they felt about all their children, and then asked the children how they felt about their parents.
Youngest children often receive much more attention from their parents than their siblings, as their older siblings have aged and become more independent. As the 'baby of the family,' their parents tend to be less harsh on them, and the youngest children are often nurtured by both their parents and older siblings.
Families with sons have been shown to have increased levels of "marital stability and marital satisfaction," and the presence of sons may increase paternal involvement in child-rearing. In the 21st century, son preference has been broadly documented in South and East Asia, but is also observable in Western countries.
Lola is likely her least favorite. Like has been said, she cost Linlin a valuable alliance, but Chiffon is likely pretty detested as well. Not only does she look like Lola, she actively took part in an assassination plot against Big Mom herself.
Dutch kids are the happiest kids in the world, according to a 2025 UNICEF report.
Children are guided to name three things they see, three things they hear, and move three body parts. Used for a minute or two, it helps the body settle and restores a sense of control. It works best for short-term, situational anxiety.
Research has shown that girls tend to be more nurturing towards their parents than boys. However, it's not entirely accurate to say that one gender cares more than the other, as both sons and daughters have their unique ways of showing their care.
What Is the Hardest Year to Take Care of a Child?
According to a study from researchers from Brigham Young University's School of Family Life, it's the younger sibling that benefits the most from being the perceived favourite because they're more focussed on social comparison than their elders.
At its core, the 7-7-7 rule is exactly what it sounds like: spend 7 minutes in the morning, 7 minutes after school or work, and 7 minutes before bed in a dedicated, undivided connection with your child.
Based on the study's questions, roughly two-thirds of the parents had a preferred child. And that favorite sibling often stayed the same over decades. There was no set of qualities that guaranteed being the golden child, but the favorites tended to be daughters and younger siblings.
A glass child is someone with a sibling who has a medical, behavioral or developmental condition that requires extra support. Our needs can often be overlooked by our parents and caregivers, who spend most of their time caring for our sibling. In this case, “glass” doesn't mean fragile. Far from it!
The world record for the most children born to one woman is 69, held by Valentina Vassilyeva, the first wife of Russian peasant Feodor Vassilyev, who gave birth 27 times between 1725 and 1765, producing 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quadruplets.
Common habits that can contribute to anxiety
Teas for stress and anxiety relief
According to Dr. Deborah MacNamara, author of the best-selling book Rest, Play, Grow: Making Sense of Preschoolers (or anyone who acts like one), and the Director of Kid's Best Bet Counseling and Family Resource Centre: “Children can't be too attached, they can only be not deeply attached.
For one-child families, having a daughter is shown to bring significantly more happiness to parents compared with having a son, especially when their children are over 20 years old (Lu et al., 2017).
What's it about? Ten-year-old Joe Smith becomes the most average kid in the country and receives endless gifts and special treatment, making him question if being extraordinary is all it's cracked up to be.
✅ 65% of mums and 70% of dads in a US study reported favouring one child. ✅ Mums tended to favour first-born sons, while dads were partial to their youngest daughters. ✅ In the UK, 59% of parents subconsciously favoured the youngest, yet 64% said they had more in common with their eldest.
In spite of Big Mom's incredible strength, her greatest weakness is her wavering mental state. Whenever she enters her craving sickness, she will act wild and out of control, endangering everyone around her, including her allies, and becoming unable to think or act rationally until she gets the food she is craving.
Favoritism is not always an issue of temperament or interests. Parents may play favorites by necessity when one child has more needs than another. Newborns and children with acute or chronic illnesses may require more care and attention than their siblings.
Birth Order. 50 years ago, Perospero was born to Big Mom and her first husband. 49 years ago, Compote was born to Big Mom and her second husband. 48 years ago, Katakuri, Daifuku, and Oven were born to Big Mom and her third husband.