How Do You Deal With Family Favoritism?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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The first step to dealing with favoritism is

accepting that you too have favorites within your family

. Look within to notice how each person in your family is different, and how your feelings toward them differ. Although you may love your relatives equally, you definitely connect with some more than others.

What are the signs of favoritism?

  • There are undeserved promotions. …
  • Only some people’s input is up for consideration. …
  • A coworker receives extra attention from your leadership. …
  • There are double standards. …
  • It’s easy to identify the boss’s pet. …
  • You detect a sense of entitlement. …
  • Someone’s getting extra privileges.

How do I let go of favoritism?

  1. Speak up. …
  2. Be able to say no. …
  3. Whenever possible, share the lime-light, Payleitner says. …
  4. Keep it professional, Taylor says. …
  5. Remain trustworthy, Payleitner says. …
  6. Don’t accept the benefits of favoritism. …
  7. Figure out if you’re really a victim. …
  8. Speak up.

How do you stop parental favoritism?

  1. Never compare. When we compare one child to another, our intentions are good. …
  2. Never act as a judge. Kids will blatantly ask you to take sides. …
  3. Never set them up to compete. …
  4. Never expect one child to set an example. …
  5. Never take sides in a fight.

What is wrong with favoritism in family?

Favoritism can cause a

child to have anger or behavior problems

, increased levels of depression, a lack of confidence in themselves, and a refusal to interact well with others. These issues appear in children who were favored by a parent as well as those who were not.

What are some examples of favoritism?

  • A person’s preference toward one’s own racial or economic group in the context of hiring, friendship, or romantic opportunities.
  • A parent’s selection of one child over another for whom the parent shows more affection, offers more gifts, or provides fewer punishments.

What happens when parents show favoritism?

Favoritism can cause

a child to have anger or behavior problems

, increased levels of depression, a lack of confidence in themselves, and a refusal to interact well with others. These issues appear in children who were favored by a parent as well as those who were not.

Is favoritism considered discrimination?

Discrimination. If favoritism is

a result of an employer’s discrimination

, this constitutes illegal favoritism. When job decisions are made based on an employee’s protected traits, such as race, sex, disability, age, etc., legal action can be taken. … could constitute illegal discrimination.

How do you deal with a sibling’s favoritism?

Write down how the favouritism makes you feel.

Talk to your friends about their experiences

. Your friends might also have parents who favor their siblings over them, too; talk to them and find out how they cope, or just vent to them. Do something nice for yourself.

Do mothers have a favorite child?

Even if you don’t fully recognize it, research indicates that

there’s a good chance that you actually do have a favorite

. In fact, one study published in the Journal of Family Psychology found 74% of moms and 70% of dads reported preferential treatment toward one child.

Why does my mother treat me differently?

Parents often treat children differently for

reasons based solely on qualities that are nobody’s fault

. Factors like birth order, genes, gender, and more sometimes lead to bias. Potential reasons include: Birth order: Firstborn kids might get more attention and praise for being responsible and capable.

What does favoritism do to a child?

The neglected children may develop hatred towards the parent who displayed favouritism. Also, such children are more likely to

exhibit aggression and inappropriate behavior

in their schools and with siblings. The lack of parental affirmation and affection may leave a void in their lives which can never be filled.

What does the Bible say about sibling favoritism?



My brothers and sisters, do not show favoritism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ

” (Jas. 2:1).

How do you use favoritism?

  1. Showing favoritism between her children caused the mother’s oldest son to resent her.
  2. Although the teacher tried not to show favoritism, she had a soft spot for one particular student.
  3. Keeping her favoritism in check, the pageant judge promised to be unbiased when voting for a winner.

What can you say about favoritism?


the favoring of one person or group over others with equal claims

; partiality: to show favoritism toward the youngest child.

Do mothers favor their first born?

For example, the research suggests dads are more likely to favor female children, and

first-born parents are more likely to favor their first-born child

. … “A parent may actually feel that they may be in some ways favoring one child, whereas the kids may perceive that very differently,” says Dr. Kramer.

Amira Khan
Author
Amira Khan
Amira Khan is a philosopher and scholar of religion with a Ph.D. in philosophy and theology. Amira's expertise includes the history of philosophy and religion, ethics, and the philosophy of science. She is passionate about helping readers navigate complex philosophical and religious concepts in a clear and accessible way.