This father has named his favourite child!

That's horrible.

I couldn't honestly choose a favourite out of my three.

Or if I could, I'd keep it myself!

to myself

With a name like Buzz what can you expect . What a prat!
I agree, all my children are my favourite, but they all have different characteristics and attributes and my relationship with them all is different for obvious reasons. As they grow older our relationship changes and matures and in some ways they are becoming the movers and shakers and I gradually, especially recently, sit back and let them take over which is quite a good feeling.

It depends on the circumstances. One is my favourite to help me chose clothes, one for IT help, one for organisation, one for understanding when I am upset, one for helping out in the kitchen when they are here, one for helping with the DIY, one for his cooking and no, I don't have 7 sons!

Same here Gally. That time comes when they organise things between themselves, then remember to include me in, or tell me to put my purse away because they are paying the restaurant bill. Gives me a lovely feeling to know they are close to each other.

I was beginning to wonder Movedalot!

My younger daughter was always jealous of her sister and asked me often if she was my favourite. I always replied 'I love you both as much as it is possible for one person to love another, so I can't have a favourite'. I think she always felt the least loved, though, and it affected her throughout life. Nothing I could do about it - she demanded attention all the time and her sister, who is remarkably well-balanced, was happy for me to spend time fussing over her while she got on with her reading.
MY own mother used to declare quite openly that I was the favourite of her four children and even as a young child I thought it was wrong. I think that might have contributed to my older sister's lack of self-confidence.

My mum always used to say that all parents had favourites - she was one of five. I was an only child and terrified that if I had more than one child I would not be able to love them the same. Well my mum was wrong. And judging by the way she loved my children, grandparents definitely don't have favourites!

Greatnan I'm sure that contributed to your sister's lack of self confidence. My sister and I knew we were inferior just because we were female. It was very clear that my mother had favourites and not just when we were children. Fortunately I have been able to move on but my sister never could get over it all. The ones who were the faves didn't become as self sufficient as the others.

I definitely couldn't choose between my two grandsons. Adore them both!

Me neither, Jingle. I adore them all differently and the same, couldn't choose between them and wouldn't want to. I don't know where 'Buzz' is coming from - looks like he has repair work to do with his partner and children.

Fortunately, being the favourite did not stop me becoming self sufficient!
I love all my gc the same, but I don't always like all of them the same.

I love mine equally but see them as the very different people that they are. Both are caring, sociable, affectionate and wonderful dads. My parents didn't have favourites but my poor mother's life was certainly affected by her mother's unconcealed favouritism towards her two sons, even though it was her two daughters who cared for her in her later years; the 'boys' could do no wrong!

The article I read about this story implied that he regretted what he'd said and actually realised that his sons were just at different stages, so what he was currently enjoying with the older child he would soon be enjoying with the younger. He was still a daft bat to say it, but I think too much was made of it. Funny that.

We love our children equally. It is just that sometimes one child gets away with much more than the other..

Oh yes. That happens. And then you just have to hope that the others can be understanding. Not always easy.

My son mentioned when he announced his engagement in front of all my family how I never had favourites, which made me very proud. I had always sworn I would not have favourites after my grandparents and parents showed distinctly their favourites. My father would boast how my second eldest sister was his favourite and this sister held a lot of sway over both my parents.

It's really mean of parents to favour a child, and a good way for children not to get along. Each child is different, how hard is it to love them all for just being them.

My Dad used to say to me,"d'you know, you're the best girl I've got!" and he used to say the same to my brother (obviously changing the gender). It made us so happy, even though he had only one son and one daughter!

My 3 girls are very very different people, and I love them all equally, but differently.
My eldest is difficult to relate to at times, and my youngest has always felt like a soulmate. I am close to my middle daughter at the moment because she is the first to become a mother, so we are connecting in a new and special way. She was the 'difficult' one during her teens.
Surely relationships change and grow over time and circumstance. Closeness waxes and wanes. What does not change is the equal and unconditional love.

I was the secondbest and it really affects how you grow up. To have this said publically must be devastating to the other child.

My elder daughter thinks that my younger daughter is my favourite because I do so much for her. This is only because the elder one lives abroad and I only see her maybe six times a year. The younger one lives 10 minutes from me so I see her more frequently. She says the same about the grandchildren. Deep down, I don't think she really believes it. At least I hope not. I love both my daughters equally and the same goes for the four grandchildren. I'm told I'm always telling elder daughter about younger daughter's children, but it's only because I spend time with them and have something to tell elder daughter.

Of all the family birthday cards I have had today, it is the one from my son that has pride of place next to the clock on the mantlepiece. [shame]

(Mind you, it does say "To my Mummy" and has got two lovely knitted mice on it )

(He's thirtyone)

Do you think favouring boys was a generational thing? My parents definitely favoured the two boys in our family of five siblings. I always felt well down the pecking order - and still do when we five get together (rarely these days) even though my parents are both dead.It is ingrained in my psyche to know my place!

I'm sure it goes back to the days when the boys were brought up to be breadwinners and girls either went into service, got married or stayed at home to help the aged parents. In many cultures boys are valued more than girls which is why gender selection is proving to be a problem when there aren't enough girls to go round.