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There aren't a lot of ironclad rules of family life, but here's one: No matter how much your parents deny it — and here's betting they deny it a lot — they have a favorite child. And if you're a parent, so do you.

The golden child may be the oldest one, unless it's the youngest. It may be the toughest one, unless it's the most sensitive. It's not even necessary that Mom and Dad have the same favorite — and typically they don't.

One oft-cited study showed that about 70% of fathers and 65% of mothers exhibit a preference for one child or another. For fathers, it's most often the youngest girl; for mothers, it's typically the oldest boy. And remember, the key here is the exhibited preference. Since parents do such a good job of concealing any bias — especially when a scientist is watching — the numbers are almost certainly a good deal higher.