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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to feel SO sorry for this child?

46 replies

scampadoodle · 22/09/2008 22:13

Our favoured few

This is a letter from The Observer this week, concerning whether people have favourites amongst their children:

"Could I suggest a solution to all those parents in denial over having favourite children ('Mothers admit to favourite children', News, last week)?

My wife and I simply decided to each rank our three children in preferential order, giving the favourite three points, the middle one two points and the last one point.

Each child ended up with four points, showing they are equally loved. The bonus is that our eldest son knows he is the favourite of one parent, his mum. Our daughter is the favourite of another parent (her dad) and our youngest son knows he is not last in either list. We are all happy and there is not a trace of parental angst to be found anywhere in the house.
George Steel
Liverpool"

'our youngest son knows he is not last in either list' Yeah - and he also knows he's not the favourite of either parent. In both their eyes he's second best. What a smug git that father is. Sitting down & scoring points - WTF???

OP posts:
Yurtgirl · 22/09/2008 22:45

HOW Do you know Mr Steele was not being serious??? How?

some of you have seriously rose tinted spectacles

My own mother admits she doesnt love me as much as she does my brother
She refers to him as the cherub

mamazee · 22/09/2008 22:48

just the tone is very 'letters page in the observer' to me yurtgirl.

bellabelly · 22/09/2008 23:11

Most parents who really believe taht sort of thing would not take the time and trouble to write to the newspaper and boast about it.

madlentileater · 22/09/2008 23:14

yes, I read that - still can't decide if serious or not- wierd either way

Blu · 22/09/2008 23:22

He IS making serious comment (exactly as pooter says below) - but satire doesn't make sense unless you know the original. Which in the case of letters in the paper often makes them senseless out of context.

But the last line might just let you know that he is tongue in cheek.

Come on, people.....

edam · 22/09/2008 23:26

Oh, it's clearly a joke, can't believe some people are taking it seriously! Can't you hear the tone of voice? He's taking the piss out of the original article.

FWIW when I phone my father, I say 'it's your favourite daughter calling' just to see if I can catch him out and make him agree with me. He never falls for it though.

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 22/09/2008 23:57

I tell each of my children they are my favourite. They get to take turns. That way, no one gets jealous.

thumbwitch · 23/09/2008 00:27

bit like Brucie on Strictly Come Dancing, LadyGP?

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 23/09/2008 00:38

EXACTLY like that, Thumbwitch! But they do know they are automatically my favouite on their birthdays or if they are ill. Also if one of them complains that another has had something extra (a slightly larger slice of cake for instance) I will explain that it was because that particular child is my favourite.
(Naturally I am already putting aside the money for their future psychoanalyis.)

thumbwitch · 23/09/2008 00:44

LOL LadyGP!

balmain · 23/09/2008 01:09

SmugColditz, your father and mine must have gone to the same school of parenting.

Surely this letter is taking the piss? I found it quite funny.

twentypence · 23/09/2008 01:38

I read this in our paper this morning - must be a slow news day in NZ and told my son categorically that he is my favourite child. He is an only child - and will always be.

I did ask my mum to think carefully about saying he was her favourite grandchild in case my brother has any children.

My dad said that in all honesty my brother was not his favourite child when he was a teenager and got drunk all the time and crapped on the stairs.

My mum said I wasn't her favourite child when I gouged out my dad's guitar. I told them that at this time they weren't my favourite parents either.

edam · 23/09/2008 10:01

I like your family, twentypence.

handlemecarefully · 23/09/2008 13:10

He crapped on the stairs???????? . Bloody hell, do the teenage years come with a fast forward button?

Original poster
scampadoodle · 23/09/2008 13:15

Look, I'm not an imbecile. I have read & re-read that letter & I really don't think it's obvious whether it's serious or not. If it's a joke then it's a typical Knobserver-reader smartarse one. Well done, Mr Smartarse-Steel, ya caught me out. Happy now?

OP posts:
purpleduck · 23/09/2008 13:22

hey! i was eating my lunch

EffiePerine · 23/09/2008 13:26

smararse wanker reads the Obs shock

Blu · 23/09/2008 13:56

But Scamp - had you read the article it referred to the week before?? That is it's context.

DaphneMoon · 23/09/2008 14:09

PMSL twentypence

My mother told me that my twin and I were a mistake, but a happy one! But then at 37 with 3 children under 13 and pregnant with twins I suppose it was kind of a fuck up to say the least!

Original poster
scampadoodle · 23/09/2008 14:15

Blu, yes I had read the article & also heard the radio coverage But you can just imagine some Competitive Dad-type deciding to sit down & award his children points... I don't think the letter is outragous enough to work as satire (if that is what it is intending to be). Oh well, as long as there really isn't a sobbing child somewhere launching himself on the sea of low self-esteem

OP posts:
Blu · 23/09/2008 14:18

No - he wouldn't have said that one child wasn't anybody's favourite if he was serious...I think 'no sobbing' - which is good

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