I have one child and this makes it OK for me to call him my favourite son.  However, in many families, schools, and workplaces, it’s just not right to call somebody your favourite when there’s more than one person in a particular role.

Favouritism is sometimes the worst kept secret, one that’s usually discussed quietly through discreet whispers and frustrated sighs. But the prevalence of people being preferred over others has existed long enough for us to have coined terms such as  ‘the golden child’ and ‘the teacher’s pet’ to describe such imbalanced treatment. Often those terms align with being picked by an authority, which is usually an adult while the subordinate, waits to be chosen. Even after we’ve grown up, in some ways we can still be susceptible to feeling like that kid in the classroom, waving an eager hand in front of the teacher only to be ignored for another, more favoured, student?