7 Ways To Deal With Favouritism In Your Kids

4. Connect With Them (ie. They love daddy, so do you!)

If you really feel that your child is pushing you away in their favouritism towards the other parent, try and connect with them through that shared love. For example, if they’re constantly talking about how they miss Daddy and can’t wait for him to be home, commiserate. Let them know you’re also missing Daddy, and that you love him sooooo much, and maybe when he gets home, you can all do something together. This way, they see that they’re a part of a family, not just a duo.

5. Have A Schedule

For parents often butting heads with their children about having the ‘favourite’ parent do something with them, it might be better to have a predictable schedule to stick to. Kids do well within a structured setting, and alternating between certain activities in a regular and predictable way makes it easy for both parents to get a chance to spend one-on-one time with the child, and for the child to also be happy with the situation. Be careful not to make promises you can’t keep, because that is going to mess with your child’s trust in the schedule.

6. Talk To Your Partner

Regardless of which side of the favouritism you’re on, it’s important that you and your partner have an honest discussion about how you plan to tackle it together. While favouritism is just another stage of a child’s life, and is common, that doesn’t make it any easier for the parent being neglected. Have a talk with your partner about how to strike a balance in your family to ensure that nobody is being left out, and make sure the favoured parent is working hard to keep the other parent included.

7. Keep Your Focus On Love

Favouritism in kids towards one parent or another is just a phase, and like all phases, it will pass eventually. Until it does, the best advice we can give is to stay focused on the positive aspects of your relationship with your child, and keep the love you share with them constant. Kids aren’t always mature enough to see what’s right in front of them, so it’s important that as a parent, you don’t lose hope in your own ability as a parent, or your child’s love for you.

How did you deal with favouritism among your children?