I Have a Favorite Child

I'll admit it. I have three kids and one of them is my favorite. Often time my favoritism manifests itself in "least favorite" instead of "favorite," but I think it still counts.

The mitigating factor is that my favorite, least favorite, and in-the-middle kid rotate spots regularly.

I got to thinking about this the other day when I was carrying three cookies to my children. One of them dropped to the floor and I stopped, suddenly faced with the Sophie's Choice decision of which child to give the dirty cookie to.

I chose my youngest, because he cries loudly if he doesn't get what he wants, and I'm tired of it. Plus this way, he couldn't complain to me about it because I brushed the dog hair off of it and didn't tell him about its recent trip to the floor.

And while yesterday my eldest was probably definitely my least favorite due to much whining and complaining, there are days when he acts as such a gentle and compassionate guide to his two younger brothers that I can't imagine loving anyone else more.

Then there is my middle child. He is lovely, cuddly, and sweet. He often gets to be my favorite, largely because he reminds me a lot of myself. Which means he is also sometimes stubborn, impulsive, and uncooperative. And my least favorite.

Along with complaining, my youngest never stops talking. He gets to be my favorite when he's fun and chatty and happy to entertain himself, and my least favorite when, oh my God, would he just Stop Talking Already!?

I guess it's all part of the ebb and flow of parenting. I would certainly never be able to actually have to choose between them if it really mattered, and I would never tell one of them that he's my favorite or least favorite, but I will admit it to myself on occasion. But naturally, all three of my kids are the best kids in the entire world. I know. It's hard to believe, but it's true!

I love my kids all day, every day, but there are times when I just don't like one of them. Thankfully those times are short-lived. And the kid who was on the bottom yesterday is often on the top today.

I think it is unfair to moms to insist that we love all of our children equally 24 hours a day. Or that we have to think they're the greatest thing since sliced bread all of the time. Sometimes they're not. And sometimes someone falls into the category of least favorite.

But then again, that means that at separate times they each fall into the category of favorite. I think that is a pretty cool thing for siblings to get to share.

Original DC Metro Moms Blog post.

Read Jean's blog, Stimeyland, and wage bets with yourself over which child was her favorite at the time she wrote each post.