We knew it!
What we said all along when we were kids has been proven true by Family Research Group at the University of California-Davis - parents do have a favourite child!
There was always one sibling who got away with murder at home. They would stay up later than you, get to go out with friends more than you or just get more praise than you in general.
Our parents would swear that they loved us all equally but we knew, we knew that wasn’t the case.
And here it is, the proof we needed that we were right all along.
It was found that 70% of dads gave preferential treat to one child over another while 74% of mums did the same.
However, of course all of the parents said they would never reveal this to their children.
The study, led by Professor Katherine Conger, interviewed 384 siblings about the treatment they received from parents and how that might differ amongst their siblings.
They then interviewed the parents to compare the results.
And just in case there is any doubt, this isn’t the first article of proof.
In 2009, a study was conducted by British professors David Lawson and Ruth Mace of 14,000 families in Bristol.
It found that there was “markedly” less attention given to each successive child from their parents.
It showed older siblings were fed better, were up to 3cm taller and in most cases had higher IQs.
But, in an effort to make sure that parent-child relationships everywhere weren’t destroyed, Professor Conger of the most recent study said that no matter if you were the oldest, youngest or somewhere in between, “everyone feels their brother or sister is getting a better deal”.
However, we say feel free to send this onto your parents and siblings now for that fulfilling feeling of saying “I told you so!”
