Did your parents treat all their children equally or do you think they had favourites?

As a child I perceived that my brother was the favourite.

In later years I grew up and went to my parent and asked my Mum why he was the favourite. She was "gobsmacked" as she did not know I felt that way.

She explained that I had far more spirit and that I was a naughtier child however far more fun than my brother.

It put a whole new slant on it for me, as she also said I turned out better than my brother.

HoWEVER, and it is a big one, by now, I think the damage was done as I always thought I was not clever enough as my brother always came first in his exams and I didnt. My mum pointed out that I never studied like he did, and had I done just a bit of work I would have been brilliant at school.

So, as a child one perceives things that are not necessarily so,

by Finy

I think that I was Mum's favourite and my brother was Dad's favourite. It all worked out in the end ;)

by Matteo Lor

I don't think it's possible to trawl all children the same - every child is different and what works for one child may not work for another child

by AJ

No I think my parents were pretty fair although when Mum was left on her own I felt she favoured my older brother and his family....I was never close to my brother, not because of this but because he could be very cruel to people (not his mother, too smart for that) I loved his family and my nieces and this made it hard at times...Dad, Mum and Brother are all gone now which has changed things markedly. (I do miss my Mum particularly though as we 'were' close in a 'female' sort of way)

by Fran

With me I was the last one (of 2).
My brother is 14 yrs older.
I was treated much nicer, and sweeter, believe me.
It made my brother become a very very unhappy person.
I of course had no idea of how my brother was treated, till he told me a few yrs ago.My parents left each other when I was 7 yrs old. :(

by jonaja

I just always assumed the youngest was the favourite. LOL.

by Vee

My parents treated us equally.

by Radhika

I think my parent treated us pretty equal as children, however, now with my Dad gone it seems that my brother is the "golden haired boy"!

by Sandy Ludinski

The boys in my family were definitely the favourites....my dad even acknowledges it now. He says it goes back to when he was younger and the son was treated like the 'next in line' or something. He was acting on how he had been brought up, nothing malicious or anything but it was very obvious when I was growing up. Now we're adults we're definitely on equal footing.

by helenonthesofa

My brother was mum's favourite, dad was totally even handed with the three of us. My sister and I never cared as we love our brother to bits anyway.

by Rice

The boys were always my mother's favourites. Didn't do the brothers any good mind you, because their 3 sisters had them well under the thumb. Took my mother years to work this out but being a mother's favourite sometimes can end up a burden, as it did in our house.

by fran.