Parental favoritism may be described as one or both parents allocating an unfair amount of valuable resources (affection, statements of love, praise, undue patience, emotional support) to one child over others (McCornack, 2019, p346).
While cashiering at a thrift store, a customer attempted to use her debit card. The first time, she entered a PIN and was denied. I asked her to try again while I pressed buttons on the machine. The second time, she entered a PIN and was denied. The customer said that she wanted to try once more. I joked that in baseball, there is a rule of "three strikes and you're out!" She laughed and said, "I only have three kids so this PIN will be correct."
Seizing upon this, I joked that the least favorite child's birthdate must be the correct PIN as I said that the machine is ready. She laughed, closed her eyes, squinted, and then opened them to tell me that she loves all her kids equally but some PINs come to mind before others. She laughed. Her third try was successful.
I wonder if the "third PIN kid" will be as professionally successful or have a greater sense of well-being and life satisfaction as their siblings. I will never know. All kids could be equally loved. Also, ascending priority order of fondness could leave that last PIN kid as her first prize. All we may know is that she enjoyed the playful exchange as it related to parental favoritism.
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