Favorite. Right or Wrong?

Favorites.

Parents, Babysitters, Bosses, Grandparents, Friends, Neighbors, Teachers, Aides, Principals. They all have favorites. Favorite classes. Favorite employees. Favorite kids. Favorite grand kids.

I had a friend call me today completely stressed out and fed up. Her mother completely favors her nieces and nephews over her children. My questions were, "Really? Are you sure? Are you being overly dramatic? Are you taking it too personally? What makes you feel this way? Why does it bother you so much?"

Oh boy did she have quite the answers for me.

Really? YES!!!
Are you sure? Kendra, I am not only sure, but I am positive.
Are you being overly dramatic? Maybe, but this sucks.
Are you taking it too personally? Wouldn't you take it personally? Touche'
What makes you feel this way? You want to know what makes me feel this way. I will tell you. Here is a list of things she does to make me feel this way. (I actually wrote them down with her permission so I could put this conversation on my blog. I love how life gives me good stuff to blog about!)
*She buys better and more gifts for the other kids.
*She sees them WAY more often then she sees my kids. The other kids are visited 3 times a year and my kids are seen maybe once, if that.
*She doesn't call us on their birthdays.
*She invites them to visit her, but not us.
*She leaves us, and only us, out of family activities. She says we live too far away, but we live closer then my sisters.
*She has savings accounts for the other kids but not mine because "We make enough money to do that ourselves". WHAT??? We make less then both of my sisters!
Why does it bother you so much? I'll tell you why. My kids are getting old enough to figure it out. That is why. My oldest came and asked me yesterday why grandma and grandpa love the other kids more. What am I supposed to say to that? I tell the kids it is not true, but they say, "OK mom, whatever. We never see them. We never talk to them. What did you do to make grandma mad at you?" It is not my fault my mother is the way she is. Maybe her mother was the same way. (We never see her, my grandmother, either!)

OK, so that is all I will put down because the rest might give away who my friend is, and I promised no names would be used to amuse my audience. So my question is: Is this behavior acceptable? If you have a favorite grandchild, child, student, or employee, is it OK to show it so openly?

I say no. It is completely unacceptable. Even if you have a favorite, you need to treat EVERYONE the same, even the ones that you do not like. It is a disgusting behavior that I believe happens way too often to too many people. I have seen it firsthand destroy good lives. I see parents who treat their girls so much better then their boys. "Boys should learn to fend for themselves." Bull crap. Everyone needs the same attention and love. What about families who have a "STAR"? Their one child is a piano prodigy, and the other 3 are just "normal". That star kid gets all of the attention to help them grow in their talent. Well maybe one of the other kids would excel in baseball if the parents would just give them the time and the chance.

Bottom line:
Treat your kids the same. It will come back to haunt you in your old age. Trust me. The one you pay no attention to will be a millionaire and when you are too old to take care of yourself they are going to pay only for the cheapest home for you to live in. The place where they do not change the bedding....or you.

Thank you and goodnight!