{"id":4135,"date":"2022-07-25T19:06:48","date_gmt":"2022-07-25T19:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/megakids.rs\/faza-omiljeni-roditelj\/"},"modified":"2025-08-09T12:09:47","modified_gmt":"2025-08-09T12:09:47","slug":"the-favorite-parent-phase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/megakids.rs\/en\/the-favorite-parent-phase\/","title":{"rendered":"The \u201cFavorite Parent\u201d Phase"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The \u201cfavorite parent\u201d phase is common among children around the age of two. Phrases like \u201cI don\u2019t want mommy\/daddy\u201d or \u201cI want daddy\/mommy\u201d can feel discouraging for the parent who is being &#8220;rejected&#8221;, while, on the other hand, it may bring great joy to the one who is currently the &#8220;favorite&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"blog-img\" src=\"https:\/\/megakids.rs\/blog-imgs\/img\/omiljeni-roditelj.jpg\" alt=\"Faza omiljeni roditelj\" \/><\/p>\n<p data-start=\"411\" data-end=\"947\">In the early months of life, the mother is usually the most important person to the baby. Mothers are the ones who nurse, bathe, change, and comfort the baby, and the sound of a mother\u2019s heartbeat often reminds the baby of their time in the womb, creating a deep sense of security and comfort. Because of this, infants are most attached to their mothers.<br data-start=\"765\" data-end=\"768\" \/>However, as the child grows emotionally and begins to explore and connect with others, they step out of their comfort zone, and this is when the \u201cfavorite parent\u201d phase can begin.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"949\" data-end=\"1086\">The parent who feels \u201crejected\u201d should not take this phase personally. Children have <strong data-start=\"1034\" data-end=\"1074\">no intention of hurting or insulting<\/strong> a parent.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1088\" data-end=\"1426\">What matters most is staying <strong data-start=\"1117\" data-end=\"1138\">calm and composed<\/strong> during this phase, and remembering that children <strong data-start=\"1188\" data-end=\"1244\">love both parents deeply\u2014there\u2019s no doubt about that<\/strong>. When a child insists on being with the other parent, it is a <strong data-start=\"1307\" data-end=\"1331\">temporary preference<\/strong> based on the moment. Young children do not plan ahead\u2014they live completely <strong data-start=\"1407\" data-end=\"1425\">in the present<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1428\" data-end=\"1907\">If your child prefers the other parent at a given time, that often means they <strong data-start=\"1506\" data-end=\"1534\">feel secure in your love<\/strong> and know you\u2019re a safe emotional base. In this case, being \u201crejected\u201d can actually be seen as a <strong data-start=\"1631\" data-end=\"1645\">compliment<\/strong>, showing the depth of trust in your bond. Respond with emotional maturity\u2014and sometimes even a sense of humor. Children will learn that their parents stay calm and steady no matter how they act. They\u2019ll also learn that it\u2019s okay to express frustration or anger.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"1909\" data-end=\"2160\">If your child becomes upset because their wish to be with the other parent cannot be fulfilled immediately, respond calmly. Let them know it\u2019s <strong data-start=\"2052\" data-end=\"2104\">okay to want to spend time with the other parent<\/strong>, and explain that this will happen as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2162\" data-end=\"2494\">When children begin to speak, people often ask them: <em data-start=\"2215\" data-end=\"2255\">\u201cWho do you love more\u2014mommy or daddy?\u201d<\/em> The preferred answer is, of course, <em data-start=\"2292\" data-end=\"2309\">\u201cboth equally.\u201d<\/em><br data-start=\"2309\" data-end=\"2312\" \/>So if you\u2019re not your child\u2019s favorite at the moment, and they prefer to do certain things with the other parent, don\u2019t take it personally. Accept it with <strong data-start=\"2467\" data-end=\"2493\">love and understanding<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2496\" data-end=\"2838\"><strong data-start=\"2496\" data-end=\"2548\">Don\u2019t try to force their attention or affection.<\/strong><br data-start=\"2548\" data-end=\"2551\" \/>Instead, make sure both parents are included in daily routines and quality time. Very often, children favor the parent who is <strong data-start=\"2677\" data-end=\"2693\">less present<\/strong>, typically due to work obligations. In many families, this turns out to be the father, while mothers often spend more time caring for the child.<\/p>\n<p data-start=\"2840\" data-end=\"2925\">It\u2019s important to note that <strong data-start=\"2868\" data-end=\"2925\">parent favoritism may also appear during adolescence.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The \u201cfavorite parent\u201d phase is common among children around the age of two. Phrases like \u201cI don\u2019t want mommy\/daddy\u201d or \u201cI want daddy\/mommy\u201d can feel discouraging for the parent who is being &#8220;rejected&#8221;, while, on the other hand, it may bring great joy to the one who is currently the &#8220;favorite&#8221;. In the early months [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4136,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The \u201cFavorite Parent\u201d Phase - Mega Kids<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/megakids.rs\/en\/the-favorite-parent-phase\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The \u201cFavorite Parent\u201d Phase - Mega Kids\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The \u201cfavorite parent\u201d phase is common among children around the age of two. Phrases like \u201cI don\u2019t want mommy\/daddy\u201d or \u201cI want daddy\/mommy\u201d can feel discouraging for the parent who is being &#8220;rejected&#8221;, while, on the other hand, it may bring great joy to the one who is currently the &#8220;favorite&#8221;. 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