Do you have a favourite?

According to a recent survey by the parenting website www.parentdish.co.uk - thirty four per cent of mothers and twenty eight per cent cent of fathers admit to preferring one of their children over another. This was out of a total of some 2,212 who were polled by the organisation. Why? From a psychoanalytic point of view its connected to splitting them into - good and bad objects. This means as a consequently that the world if divided into good and bad. The problem with this primitive defence mechanism is that it becomes self fulfilling. One child is then perceived as good and the other not. I witnessed this in my own family, I was clearly preferred by my mother, and my sister by my father - my bother on the other hand was unfortunately left out all together. This scenario is all part of the Oedipal theme in family life. Nevertheless having different attitudes to our children has a profound impact on their development and self esteem. However for my own part as a parent I had no favourite child, both my daughter and son where loved equally and are of equal importance.