‘The second half of a man’s life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half.’ –Dostoevsky
It’s one of the worst-kept secrets of family life that all parents have a preferred son or daughter, and the rules for acknowledging it are the same everywhere: The favored kids recognize their status and keep quiet about it. (…) The unfavored kids howl about it like wounded cats. And on pain of death, the parents deny it all. (…)
65% of mothers and 70% of fathers exhibited a preference for one child, usually the older one. (…) “The most likely candidate for the mother’s favorite was the firstborn son, and for the father, it was the last-born daughter. ” (…)
Firstborns have a 3-point IQ advantage over later siblings. (…)
Not all experts agree on just what the impact of favoritism is, but as a rule, their advice to parents is simple: If you absolutely must have a favorite (and you must), keep it to yourself.
