Parents who say they don't play favourites with their children are obviously lying or fooling themselves.
According to an October issue of Time magazine, our brains are hardwired to do so.
"Nature impels us to have to have a favourite child," said journalist and author Jeffery Kleuger.
Typically the oldest child is favoured because of "the idea of sunk costs".
"You've invested more time, money, resources, even calories into the first born," said eldest child Kleuger.
But the baby of the family is often the favourite, especially for mothers who'll "steer a lot of protection and a lot of resources to youngest and more vulnerable in the nest because that's the one who needs it."
Rue the fate of the middle child, then. Kleuger claims that parents should be forgiven for playing favourites since they are driven to do so by their very genetics.
Did your parents play favourites? If so, how did you deal?
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