Is it appropriate for a parent to admit that they have a favourite child?
The question has been heavily debated on social media after a mother of four appeared on a British morning show, This Morning, explaining why she has no qualms favoring one of her children over her three others.
Alisha Tierney-March, from Sheffield, explained why she doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with having a favorite child, much to the dismay of hosts Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield.
She admitted that her second youngest, two-year-old Kennedie, is her favorite child out of her brood.
Her other children include daughters Addisson and Harleigh, aged 9 and 7 respectively, and Elijah, who’s one year old.
When Kennedie was born, Alisha was able to spend far more time with her than her older two children, as they had started school.
During her alone time with Kennedie, Alisha was able to breastfeed her newborn daughter, which she believes enabled her to bond even more with her.
Alisha had a difficult time bonding with her firstborn, as Addisson would scream constantly as a baby.
While her second daughter, Harleigh, was her favorite for some time, Kennedie is now her preferred child as she's apparently a far easier child to handle.
“Kennedie is just all round nicer to be around,” she confessed. “I’ve just got that different bond with Kennedie, I have got such a bond with her. I’m not sure if it’s down to breastfeeding.”
Willoughby and Schofield appeared aghast during the interview, expressing their concern that Alisha’s three other children may become resentful towards her and Kennedie in future.
Many people on social media have shared this point of view, stating that they believe it’s irresponsible to openly favor one child.
“I feel for those poor children growing up knowing their sibling is their mother’s favourite, I would like to see how it affects them in the future!” one person wrote.
“This is absolutely disgusting,” another person commented. “I grew up knowing my mum didn’t love me as much as my older sister and other siblings and it destroyed me. I now don’t have any kind of relationship with them.”
Alisha also admitted that she was very upset when she found out that her youngest child was a boy, as she’d been hoping for another girl.
Although she claims that she loves Elijah the same as all of her children, Kennedie is still her favorite due to her easy-going temperament.
“I love him to pieces he’s a lovely baby, but again he’s hard work,” she said.
