Mum's favourite child? It's the eldest: Three quarters of parents admit to liking one of their offspring more than the others
- It's long been suspected by feuding siblings that parents favour youngest
- But researchers say it’s first-born who feel they get preferential treatment
- 74 per cent of mothers confessed to liking one child more than another
- Lead researcher from the University of California was 'surprised' at finding
It's long been suspected by feuding siblings that their parents favour the youngest child.
But researchers say it’s the first-born who feels they get the preferential treatment.
A study revealed 74 per cent of mothers and 70 per cent of fathers confessed to liking one child more than another.
Researchers from the University of
California found that 74 per cent of mothers and 70 per cent of fathers
confessed to liking one child more than another. File photo of mother
and child
While
the parents did not specify which child was their favourite, when
siblings were interviewed themselves, results showed younger brothers
and sisters often sensed a bias towards the first-born.
The younger children said this knocked their self-esteem.
The study asked pairs of teenage siblings no more than four years apart how they felt their parents treated them.
Sociologists found that simply being the first to complete a task made the eldest child more confident and assertive.
Professor
Katherine Conger from the University of California said her team were
trying to prove that first-borns felt hard done by compared with their
other siblings.
While the parents did not specify
which child was their favourite, when siblings were interviewed
themselves, results showed younger brothers and sisters often sensed a
bias towards the first-born. File photo of pregnant woman
But
their study of 384 families, published in the Journal of Family
Psychology, said the eldest child actually felt their accomplishments
meant more to their parents – who were most likely experiencing exam or
sporting success with a child for the first time.
I
was a little surprised. Our hypothesis was that older, earlier-born
children would be more affected by perceptions of differential
treatment.
Professor Katherine Conger, University of California
Professor
Conger said: ‘I was a little surprised. Our hypothesis was that older,
earlier-born children would be more affected by perceptions of
differential treatment due to their status as the older child in the
family.’
The study asked pairs of teenage siblings no more than four years apart, how they feel their parents treat them.
A
sociological survey asked if they sensed a differential treatment
between their siblings, and how that has affected their confidence.
Younger siblings said they could sense a first-born bias, which had knocked their self-esteem.
A previous study from the University of Toronto discovered having an older sibling could help to boost intelligence.
Separate
research from Ohio State University said growing up with brothers or
sisters may also make divorce less likely as an adult.
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