Do you have a favorite child? Here's what factors research says contribute to perception
The study, which was done in Europe and North America, looked at data from 20,000 people and showed parents tend to favor daughters slightly more than sons.
"We have to keep in mind that culture plays a big difference," said Dr. Sue Varma, a board-certified psychiatrist, on "CBS Mornings." "I know my Asian and South Asian friends will say, 'Daughters? Are you kidding me? No, the sons are the favorite children.'"
Varma, author of the book "Practical Optimism," said in addition to traditions and culture, it's also about perception.
"A lot of times, the agreeable child may get less attention even though they are the favored child," she said. "The parent is like, 'I need to focus on the child that needs me more,' the kid that's having rebellious behavior or oppositional."
Varma said daughters are sometimes favored because they are often considered "easier to parent."
"Part of what makes parenting easier for some parents is, 'Is my kid also agreeable and conscientious and diligent and dutiful and obedient and respectful?'" Varma explained. "If a parent feels insecure or that the child is demanding too much, it makes the parents feel less competent and therefore shows less favoritism to the child."
She said the key for parents is listening.
"So you may say, 'What constitutes favoritism?' Is it how much time you spend with me? Is it how much affection? I think parents really need to listen to the kid and validate what they're expressing," Varma said.
Tips for parents
Varma offered advice on how not to show favoritism, including:
Listen to your child's complaints
Don't get defensive
Validate your child's experience
Spend one-on-one time
Invest in your child's talents
Another tip from Varma: "Don't dismiss what your child is saying and try to spend more one-on-one time if there's multiple children."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
South Florida pilot dies in plane crash while trying to fly around the world
Ahn-Thu Nguyen had already made history. After becoming the 10th woman to fly solo around the world, the South Florida woman took off again this month to embark on a similar journey. The 44-year-old Nguyen, who was known as a groundbreaking aviator, educator and fierce advocate for women in aerospace, died on Wednesday in a plane crash near Greenwood, Indiana, during the early leg of her second global solo flight. The crash occurred shortly after takeoff from Indy South Greenwood Airport around 10:45 a.m, according to the National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the crash. The agency identified the plane as a Lancair IVP. The NTSB investigation is ongoing and will examine the aircraft, pilot qualifications, maintenance records, weather conditions, and additional data, including air traffic control communications and surveillance footage. Nguyen, a Pembroke Pines pilot who chronicled her flight journeys on her social media page, made her last post the day her plane crashed. In a video posted to her Instagram, with over 166,000 followers, Nguyen is seen sitting in a small aircraft and excitedly tells the camera that she has just completed the first leg of her solo flight around the world. In the video, she says that she is getting ready to fly from Indiana to Pennsylvania. A resident of South Florida Nguyen was founder of Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation, a nonprofit based in Miami and Pembroke Pines that empowers Asian women and girls through scholarships, mentorship and flight training. She also operated Dragon Flight Training Academy at North Perry Airport in Pembroke Pines, where she mentored the next generation of pilots. Her 2025 solo journey was the continuation of a mission that had already made history. In 2024, Nguyen became only the 10th woman in history — and the first Vietnamese woman — to complete a solo flight around the globe. 'This isn't just a flight — it's a movement,' a GoFundMe page to help Nguyen in her journey reads. Her proposed route covered 26,800 nautical miles across 25 countries, promoting aerospace education for girls worldwide, according to the fundraiser. 'Anh-Thu was an inspiring pilot, instructor, and advocate for girls and women in aerospace, engineering, and aviation,' AWAA said in a statement. 'She lived with boldness, curiosity, and drive.' Born in a remote village in Tuy-Hoa, Vietnam, she attended a UNICEF-built school and grew up without electricity or running water, according to her bio. She arrived in the U.S. at 12 as a refugee, not speaking English, and her family relied on welfare and food stamps. Nguyen went on to graduate as valedictorian of her high school, earn an engineering degree from Purdue University, and went on to pursue a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech. As a student, she worked for $6 an hour as a math tutor, took out student loans, and often lived out of her car while completing flight training, her bio reads. She eventually became a Boeing 767 pilot for a major airline and earned recognition as an AOPA Distinguished Flight Instructor. Even with her achievements, Nguyen often faced skepticism. In her bio she recounted repeated instances of being stopped at airport gates and having to prove she was, in fact, a pilot. In 2018, she founded AWAA with a mission to break barriers and provide opportunities for underrepresented girls in STEM. Through the organization, she helped create scholarships and provided discounted flight training for aspiring female pilots. Her nonprofit, headquartered at 7201 S Airport Rd. in Pembroke Pines, says it will continue her legacy. Donations can be made in her honor to Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to fund scholarships and mentorship programs. 'We will use the funds to continue her dream of helping young girls pursue their dreams,' the nonprofit said. In her last post to the internet Nguyen told her audience 'Let's keep flying forward together.'
USA Today
2 days ago
- USA Today
Woman who died in Indiana plane crash was trying to fly solo around the world
Anh-Thu Nguyen, 44, wanted to be the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world. Her journey ended prematurely after her airplane crashed in Greenwood, Indiana, on July 30. The Johnson County coroner has identified Nguyen, a flight instructor and a Purdue University graduate, as the pilot killed in the small-plane crash. Nguyen was on the second leg of her journey. She left the Indy South Greenwood Airport at 10:45 a.m. and was en route to an airport in Pennsylvania, according to flight records from Flightaware. A few minutes after taking off from the Greenwood airport, Nguyen's 2005 Lancair IV-P was seen spiraling out of the air. The plane ultimately landed on a hill behind a Circle K gas station. Frank Williams, a witness to the crash, said the airplane was quiet as it fell from the sky. "There was no explosion, and there was no fire. I pulled right up, and I could smell fuel. As I got close to the plane, I could tell there wasn't a survivor," Williams said. It's unclear what led to the crash. The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating. Who was Anh-Thu Nguyen? Nguyen, a 2015 Purdue graduate, wanted to inspire other Asian women to get in the cockpit. She started Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization in 2018 and became the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy in Georgia. Nguyen was born in Vietnam, moving to the United States when she was 12 years old. She received a bachelor' of science's in math and a master's in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Purdue University. She received a doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Georgia Institue of Technology. "As an Asian woman, I faced many obstacles and challenges to get to where I am today, especially adapting to a new culture, language, and life in the United States. I wanted to give back and inspire the next generation," she told Purdue University. Nguyen originally conceived the idea of becoming the first Vietnamese woman to complete a solo flight around the world in 2019, but due to a number of issues, her plans were pushed back. On July 27, 2025, Nguyen officially started the journey when she flew out of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, toward Indiana. On July 30, before Nguyen left the Greenwood airport, she posted an update about her journey on social media. "I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world," she said. "This is more than just a flight. It's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots and aerospace engineers and STEM professionals." Her death has come as a shock to many who were following the start of her journey on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. The comment sections of her videos were filled with "rest in peace" messages. Noe Padilla is a Public Safety reporter for IndyStar. Contact him at npadilla@ follow him on X @1NoerPadilla or on Bluesky @
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Female pilot killed in Indiana plane crash was attempting solo trip around the world
A pilot trying to become the first Vietnamese woman to fly solo around the world was killed when her small plane crashed in Indiana. Anh-Thu Nguyen, a Vietnamese-born flight instructor, had just taken off from the Indy South Greenwood Airport bound for Pennsylvania on the second leg of her global flight when her 2005 Lancair IV-P spiraled out of the sky and crashed behind a gas station in Greenwood, according to the Indianapolis Star. The 44-year-old was the sole occupant and was pronounced dead at the scene. Nobody on the ground was injured, the Daily Journal reported. 6 Anh-Thu Nguyen, a Vietnamese-born flight instructor, had just taken off from the Indy South Greenwood Airport bound for Pennsylvania. Facebook / Anh-Thu Nguyen 6 Her 2005 Lancair IV-P spiraled out of the sky and crashed behind a gas station in Greenwood. Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Nguyen was just three days into the journey, which she hoped would inspire future generations of Asian women to become pilots, she said in a Facebook video posted just minutes before her plane went down. 'I just completed the first leg of my solo flight around the world,' she said in the clip. 'This is more than just a flight. It's a mission to inspire the next generation of Asian female pilots and aerospace engineers and STEM professionals.' 'Let's keep flying forward together. … Thank you,' Nguyen told her followers. Nguyen's circumnavigation attempt officially began on July 27 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. She flew from there to Indiana and was due to land in Pennsylvania before the plane crashed just before 11 a.m. Witness Frank Williams told The Star the aircraft was eerily silent as it fell toward the ground. 'There was no explosion, and there was no fire. I pulled right up, and I could smell fuel. As I got close to the plane, I could tell there wasn't a survivor,' Williams said. 6 The 44-year-old was the sole occupant and was pronounced dead at the scene. Facebook / Anh-Thu Nguyen 6 Nguyen was just three days into the journey, which she hoped would inspire future generations of Asian women to become pilots, she said in a Facebook video posted just minutes before her plane went down. Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The pilot was born in Vietnam and moved to the US when she was 12, according to the paper. Nguyen studied at Purdue University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in math and a master's in aeronautics and astronautics. She later received a doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics engineering from Georgia Tech. She was most recently working as the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy. 6 Witness Frank Williams told The Star the aircraft was eerily silent as it fell toward the ground. Facebook / Anh-Thu Nguyen 6 She was most recently working as the chief flight instructor at Dragon Flight Training Academy. Facebook / Anh-Thu Nguyen In 2018, she launched the Asian Women in Aerospace and Aviation Inc., a nonprofit focused on empowering female Asian pilots. 'We are heartbroken by the sudden loss of our dear friend, founder, mentor, and leader, Anh-Thu Nguyen, who passed away in a tragic accident during her solo journey around the world,' the organization posted in a touching tribute. 'Anh-Thu was an inspiring pilot, instructor, and advocate for girls and women in aerospace, engineering, and aviation. She lived with boldness, curiosity, and drive. She came from humble beginnings in Vietnam to becoming a beacon of hope to many.'
