Is favoritism a bad thing

Answer 1

When parents show favoritism in families they set up children for all kinds of problems, including sibling rivalry. Both the favored child and the less favored child suffer in different ways.

There is a difference between loving (and treating) children equitably and treating them "the same." Equitable treatment means each child gets the love, attention, and resources he or she needs in their particular circumstances. Each child is unique. But each child has an equal need for a parent's love and support.

A great deal of research has been done on the effects of family favoritism, some of which is linked below. They all come to similar conclusions: If you treat children differently, they will not necessarily see it as favoritism if you explain why. For instance, older children can understand why you might need to spend more time with the baby. But they should be seeing equal love expressed among them.