Science proves your parents do have a favourite child

You, obviously.

I’ve long suspected my parents favour my sister. Now, I finally have proof.

According to a study by the Journal of Marriage and Family, 75 per cent of mothers report feeling closer to one adult child than another. It’s not a recent finding either, with an older study from 2005 showing similar results: 70 per cent of fathers and 74 per cent of mothers had demonstrated preferential treatment to one of their children.

Knew it.

According to the author of The Favourite Child, Ellen Weber Libby, it’s better for parents to straight out admit it, too.

“Denying your favouritism is the worst thing a parent can do, because it will make you less likely to pay attention to it,” she told the Wall Street Journal.

“Parents need to know that favouritism is normal.”

Apparently, the youngest children are the most likely to miss out on the love. The University of California reports younger children are more likely to have low self-esteem caused by their parents’ favouritism than first-born children. They also suggest older children generally receive special treatment.

I must have been the exception to the rule.

Either way, it’s just another example of science confirming what we’ve known all along.