Nearly half of grandparents admit to having a FAVOURITE grandchild, reveals study

Reckon grandparents love all their grandbabies equally? Think again!

While they may not openly admit it, a new study has found that grandparents actually reveal they secretly have a favourite grandchild!

Although, it wasn’t revealed whether or not this affected their decisions when it came to making their will!

42 per cent of grandparents admit to having a favourite grandchild

According to a survey conducted by Granset, 42 per cent of the 2,000 users who took part confessed to having a favourite grandchild.

And it seems that parents feel the same, with 23 per cent of users on Mumsnet admitting they also had a favourite child!

So, what do grandparents favour in a granddaughter or grandson?

The results show a variety of reasons. It could be they feel a deeper connection to their first grandchild or find a certain one more affectionate than the others.

Surprisingly, it seems pensioners prefer humour, with 58 per cent of grandparents admitting their preferred a child that made them laugh the most.

The youngest child is most popular with grandparents

While 56 per cent of parents admitted to preferring their youngest child.

But while many grandparents and parents admit to having a favourite, the majority felt it was harmful and only a small number of grandchildren were aware there was a favourite.

“Favouritism is one of the last taboos and can provoke a lot of guilt, so it’s important to say that feeling a greater affinity for a particular child – often, whichever one is willing to put their shoes on – is fairly common, and doesn’t have to be disastrous,” says Gransnet founder Justine Roberts.

“Toxic favouritism, where siblings become aware of being treated unfairly over the long term, is a whole other ball game. The distilled Mumsnet wisdom on this issue is that lots of parents like their children differently: the crucial thing is to love them all wholly.”

Parents also have a favourite child

Meanwhile, another study by the University of California found that 74 per cent of mothers and 70 per cent of fathers had a favourite child.

And it seems, the firstborn tends to be the idolised child in the family.

It seems, that in the 384 families analysed, the eldest child felt their accomplishments, such as an exam or sport win, meant more to their parents because it was the first time they were experiencing it.

“I was a little surprised. Our hypothesis was that older, earlier-born children would be more affected by perceptions of differential treatment due to their status as the older child in the family,” says Professor Katherine Conger.

So, there you have it. The youngest and the funniest child are the favourite for grandparents and the eldest is for parents.

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