Author Topic: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child  (Read 1474 times)

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Offline LadyVirginia

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book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« on: September 29, 2011, 04:03:16 PM »
linky link

Radio station I'm streaming is discussing this:


Quote
It is the kind of knowledge, one imagines, would leave a child requiring years of therapy. So a new book's claim that 95 per cent of parents have a favourite is a controversial one.
Writer Jeffrey Kluger, who dedicates a chapter of The Sibling Effect to favouritism, believes those who don't admit to loving one child more are lying.
He writes: 'It is my belief that 95 percent of the parents in the world have a favorite child, and the other five percent are lying.'




Just the kind of junk articles that drive me crazy.

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Offline rickl

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2011, 06:30:19 PM »
I didn't read the link, but the premise sounds plausible to me.  It's only human nature to have preferences about everything.

My younger sister always thought our parents favored me, and she had a lot of resentment about it.  If I have to be honest, I think she had a point.

ETA:  I don't have any kids myself, so that's the only data point I have to work with.
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Offline Predator Don

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2011, 07:06:32 PM »
I have a favorite child. ( Of course, I only have one child)...and he is 26 now.
I'm not always engulfed in scandals, but when I am, I make sure I blame others.

Offline rickl

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #3 on: September 29, 2011, 07:39:49 PM »
As a thought experiment, suppose I am a big baseball fan and I have two sons.  One is a high school baseball star and the other displays no athletic ability.  I will automatically tend to have more fondness towards the baseball star even if I don't mean to show any favoritism.  It's only human nature and it could be completely unconscious on my part.
We are so far past and beyond the “long train of abuses and usurpations” that the Colonists and Founders experienced and which necessitated the Revolutionary War that they aren’t even visible in the rear-view mirror.
~ Ann Barnhardt

Offline Alphabet Soup

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #4 on: September 29, 2011, 07:48:47 PM »
I didn't read the link, but the premise sounds plausible to me.  It's only human nature to have preferences about everything.

My younger sister always thought our parents favored me, and she had a lot of resentment about it.  If I have to be honest, I think she had a point.

ETA:  I don't have any kids myself, so that's the only data point I have to work with.

I was dead-center in a family of five kids. I was also the most self-sufficient and the lowest maintenance. Naturally my folks liked me best  ;D

Offline Damn_Lucky

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #5 on: September 29, 2011, 08:06:35 PM »
I have two and they are like oil and water and I still could not pick one over the other.
On a side note 17 year old for sale.
Back room and board and college. ::gaah::
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Offline AlanS

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #6 on: September 30, 2011, 05:39:33 PM »
With one stepson and 2 of my own, I have always worked to not show favoritism. I don't know how successful I've been, but I have tried.
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Offline AmericanPatriot

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #7 on: September 30, 2011, 11:50:05 PM »
Of my two, I have a favorite.
Depends on which day and which one has gotten under my skin last as to which is my favorite at that time

Online IronDioPriest

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2011, 01:45:03 AM »
I have four, aged 26, 17, 16, and 6. I couldn't begin to choose a favorite. All occupy a unique place in my heart, and my heart is tender for them all for different reasons. Perhaps the "study" would show that I am in denial, and that I do indeed favor one over the others. But if that's the case, I am blind to it.
"A strict observance of the written laws is doubtless one of the high duties of a good citizen, but it is not the highest. The laws of necessity, of self-preservation, of saving our country when in danger, are of higher obligation. To lose our country by a scrupulous adherence to written law, would be to lose the law itself, with life, liberty, property and all those who are enjoying them with us; thus absurdly sacrificing the end to the means."

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Offline Libertas

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #9 on: October 03, 2011, 07:03:09 AM »
Having no childeren myself I cannot begin to speak for parents...but knowing my parents there appeared to be no favorites in retrospect...despite my arguments early in life that baby sister always got her way!

 ;D

We are now where The Founders were when they faced despotism.

Offline LadyVirginia

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Re: book claims 95 per cent of parents have a favorite child
« Reply #10 on: October 03, 2011, 08:17:55 AM »
I guess I'm the lying 5% according to that author.  Can't help but wonder if he's not trying to rationalize his tendency to favor one over the other.  I've always found all my kids so interesting and unique that I enjoy being with them all. 

I never thought about it when I was a kid.  But a few years ago my 2 adult kids told me my mother favored my siblings.  They couldn't believe I didn't know.  I guess as a kid life was what it was and I didn't analyze it.  Of course, after they told me I recalled lots of things that pointed to it and that with some of the things she says to me now I could see it.  But heck what does it matter?  I got my own family and a pretty good one so I don't really care.
"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."