It's True: The Youngest Sibling Is Usually the Favorite, According to a Not-So-Groundbreaking Survey

Even though most moms and dads swear up and down that they don't have a favorite kid, a new survey done in the UK by Mumsnet and Gransnet proves otherwise.

Researchers surveyed 1,185 parents to determine whether or not they have a favorite child. While 23 percent of the test group said they didn't like one of their kids more than the others, 56 percent admitted that they do in fact have a favorite child, and it was their youngest compared to 26 percent of parents who favored their oldest kid.

So what exactly makes parents like one kid more than another? Parents appeared to favor children who were "easy" to raise, with 61 percent saying their favorite's siblings were "tricky" or "demanding." All in all, moms and dads seemed to favor the kid who didn't give them as hard of a time — 41 percent of parents claimed that was the reason for their favoritism.

Another big factor has to do with whether or not the kid in question reminded the parent of themselves. The survey found that 41 percent of parents liked their child who was most like them compared to 14 percent who said they favored their son or daughter who was more like their partner.

And grandparents aren't off the hook, either. The same survey revealed that 42 percent of grandparents have a favorite grandchild as well.

Researchers made a point to ask parents if they thought this was an acceptable way of thinking, to which they responded no. Seventy-eight percent of Mumsnet users and 56 percent of Gransnet users thought it was damaging for their other kiddos and also admitted it could be damaging to themselves as parents.