The Password Child: The new way of knowing if you have a favourite child.

Do you have a favourite child? 

If you are not sure, but use one child's name as your password for online banking or another app, then according to TikTok, your 'Password Child' is your favourite offspring.

Which is all fine until your 'non-favourite' child asks you for the password for something...

Watch: Is it ever okay to admit to having a favourite child? Post continues below. 

The term 'Password Child' first came to light on TikTok in 2021 when a young woman made fun of the fact her parents don't have a favourite child, before cutting to a shot of her standing and flexing her arm while 'THE PASSWORD' appears across her chest. 

It has been liked over 10 million times and widely shared, spawning hundreds of thousands of other funny and not-so-funny 'favourite child' TikToks and Reels. 

As us parents slowly catch up to the TikTok generated 'Password Child' term, many are now frantically updating their passwords to ensure they don't subject their kids to a lifetime of password-related therapy.

@clemenceee.vp FACTS #favoritechild ♬ Eleanor Rigby - Cody Fry

On this week's episode of Mamamia's This Glorious Mess, hosts Leigh Campbell and Tegan Natoli discuss a recent article from The Sydney Morning Herald that examines the guilt parents are feeling after belatedly stumbling across the idea of having a 'Password Child'.

While mum-of-one Leigh says she doesn't have to worry about playing favourites, mum-of-three Tegan admits she uses her daughter Indiana's name as her password because she thought it would be easiest to remember.

"My [favourite child] changes every day, depending on who's been the best behaved," Tegan explains to Leigh on the episode.

"But there's one [child] that's more my spirit animal, more 'like-minded'. I wouldn't say it directly to the kids, but Samara is definitely like a mini-me. Whereas Indiana is in between and Banjo is like a mini-Jason. 

"Samara and I have similar souls. But that doesn't make her the favourite. It just makes her more relatable to me because I'm in tune [with her]." 

And because passwords need changing so often, Tegan believes she can just cycle through her three kids' names to make it fair in the future.

Or as Leigh suggests, perhaps use a deceased pet's name instead.

Listen to this week's episode of This Glorious Mess. Post continues below.

According to some recent survey results out of the UK, one in 10 parents admit to having a favourite child. 

Fifty-three per cent of parents say they preferred the youngest child, followed by the eldest with 25 per cent, and the middle child with just 18 per cent.

With many parents likely too embarrassed to admit if they have a favourite, the real numbers could be much higher. Which is why the notion of favourite children being revealed through a secret password choice is fascinating for both kids and parents alike.

While it might be technologically safer to not use any of your kids' names as passwords, it is worth remembering that playing favourites is fine in small doses, but can have serious long-term impacts on kids if parents do so with frequency and intent.

In a Mamamia article from 2019, experts explain that parental stress and the ages and stages of a child's development play a big role in how parents relate to their kids.

"Although most parents love and nurture all their children, they will inevitably find that they are more in tune with one child than another," experts Sheri Madigan and Jennifer Jenkins wrote.

"One child is perhaps a bit more social; another is more ready to anger, a third finds learning easier."

The key thing to remember is that perceived favouritism can create a divide between siblings that ultimately affects the whole family's mental health and wellbeing and even the Password Child doesn't benefit in the end.

Thankfully, there are a few ways to be a fairer parent, as Madigan and Jenkins explain. 

The first thing to do is to be aware of your behaviour and notice if stress levels are high, as this is more likely to increase favouritism. Try to listen and not discount the feelings of a child who feels unsupported. Also, provide an explanation to your behaviour. If one child is hurt, or needs more attention around exam time, that might be why they are getting more of your time currently. Finally, don't compare your kids unfavourably. Instead, try to carve out 10 minutes of one-on-one time for each child daily.

And if one catches you using the other's name as a password then just tell them it's their turn next.

Or use the cat's name instead. It's probably fairer.

Laura Jackel is Mamamia's Family Writer. For links to her articles and to see photos of her outfits and kids, follow her on Instagram and TikTok.

Feature Image: TikTok/@clemenceee.vp.