Mums and dads answer the question of who is their favourite child

It's the age old question.

For years and years, parents have been questioned over which of their children they like more. The typical response is usually that parents "can't possibly pick a favourite" - but it turns out that they definitely can. A recent study by Mumsnet may have answered the question once and for all. It turns out that half of parents who admitted to having a favourite preferred the baby of the family. The research found that 40 per cent of mums and dads confessed to favouring the youngest because they were able to see themselves in the child. But grandparents didn't quite agree. The study found that grandmas and granddads tended to have preference for the eldest child, with 33 per cent saying they doted on the first born more as they were a mini-version of their own children. And humour apparently is a huge factor in the preference of mums, dads and grandparent. More than half of parents and grandparents said the the golden child made them laugh more often. And despite the fact that some of them admitted to having a preferred child (or grandchild), almost 60 per cent of mums, dads and grandparents felt "awful" for choosing. Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts told The Mirror:

“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 is fairly common, and doesn’t have to be disastrous. “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.”