Mummy's Wednesday: Loving one child more than the other

In my home, my mum had all six of us. I am the second child and in all my years of growing up with my family, I never felt like any one of us was more loved by either our father or mother than the rest.

The love and level of discipline shown was the same to every single one of us.

That said, it then worries me when some parents actually say it proudly that one of their children is their favorite. While it may be true that one child out of the rest may resemble the mother and do things exactly like the mother would want, I think that for the sake of the other children who you carried in your womb; you shouldn't pick one over the other. Favoritism has done more harm than good in most families than you will ever know.

While in secondary school, I knew a girl who hated her younger sister so much you wouldn't believe they were from the same parents. The reason was simple; their mother loved her sister more and showed it at every given time. When the younger sister wanted anything, she got it but it wasn't same for her. She didn't care why her mum always compared her to her sister, she didn't even make any efforts to change and be like her sister in a bid to get her mother's love ( For that was probably the mother's reason for the comparison in the first place); all she knew was that her sister was taking away all her shine and love.


The mother's tactic in pulling her close grossly backfired as the poor innocent child being showered with love and care got the brunt of the hatred.

I believe it is improper for a parent to voice preference for any one of their children in the presence of the rest. This will bring about sibling rivarly and most of the time hatred that may grow with the children.

If these children were brought forth by one mother, she should then strive to treat them all with equal love and compassion no matter how tempted she is to pour in more affection for a particular one for whatever reason.

I have just one son now but I have prayed to God for the grace to love the rest of the kid(s) I will have just as much as I love my son. I do not want to incite any form of malice that may not even be visible to me but eat away at poor innocent children!