Science Says You Have a Favorite Kid.

And your kids will always guess wrong about who it is.

As a mother, I would never admit that I have a favorite child. That’s because I absolutely do have a favorite, but that designation is a continually shifting spot in my heart. For example, at the moment, my middle kiddo is my favorite because he’s sitting quietly and reading a book while I work. My least favorite child right now? Easy, that would be my youngest, who is currently shrieking like a damn sea witch.

Most parents will tell you that they don’t have a favorite child. The truth is, though, that most parents have a child at any given time who is causing the least amount of resistance and is, therefore, more comfortable to be around. Kids are loud and wild and can be extraordinarily frustrating to be around.

But science thinks that no matter what parents say, they genuinely do have a favorite child. And what’s more, kids seldom know who the favorite is; in fact, when asked who they think the favorite child is, they often guess wrong.

In a 2006 study that rotates in and out of the public eye, researchers looked closely at 384 families that had siblings who were within four years of age difference from one another. It turns out that 74% of mothers and 70% of fathers reported preferential treatment toward one child over another.

But who is the favorite kid? That depends on who you ask. The study revealed that perceived preferential treatment mostly…