Picked off by my son!

[JerseyJanice]

My nephew and his new bride came to visit us last night. He is living in Texas now, and his wife couldn't get off work tomorrow and Thursday, so they flew in to visit for a long weekend this one past.

Of course, I was thrilled to see him. After he left, my son told me, "he's your favorite nephew, right?" I answered no, that I love all my nieces and nephews the same. DS said no way, that he could tell from the look on my face that I'm crazy about this kid.

Well, I'm guilty as charged. I don't how to explain it, but I've always just "clicked" with this particular nephew. From the time he was a little baby to now--we just really get along. I feel like being involved with him while he was growing up was training for me to have a son one day.

The new couple flew back to Texas this morning. I feel so sad that he's gone already. He adores his new wife and seems to like living in Texas, but at the same time, I can tell he's homesick and really misses us.

 

[englishteacha]

I have dozens of nieces and nephews (that's what happens when you have 7 siblings). I must admit that I have some favorites. At least they aren't all together often enough to notice!

 

[bgohre]

Don't feel bad, I have a favorite too. I do love them all very much, but I have spent way more time with one of them so it's only natural. I lived with him till he was about 4 so he has a lot of my mannerisms and likes a lot of the things I like.

It's natural. I have a favorite child too. SHHHHH don't tell my wife.

 

[JerseyJanice]

This is my oldest nephew, and he is 27 now. He lived with us in the summer of 2001 since he had a summer internship at the company where I worked. He was an engineering student then; now he's an actual petroleum engineer.

I would love to visit him in Texas sometime soon, but I have a WDW trip booked for this August (free dining bounceback). I don't know about doing both in terms of expenses and time off work. Plus I think he's hoping we'll come after they buy a house, and that probably isn't happening this year.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I don't have a problem with favorite--everyone has them.

It's how you act upon it that I have a problem with.

Right now--I have a relative who is so nauseatingly obvious who her favorite is. The problem--she's had nieces and nephews for 7 years and then this one came along and it is like she has no others. I get it--the baby is cute, you try to be BFF with her mother. But it is rather insulting to make it a public display.

I don't have any favorites yet. Only 4 nieces and nephews. But I feel like the one is off limits--again, based on the overkill of her aunt.

 

[jjarman]

I have 3 nephews, 15, 7 and 5. The 15 year old is a little snot most of the time. I only see him when we have our annual family trip to the beach for a week. He sulls up the entire trip and I never hear a word out of him. He used to be a funny kid but I guess it is that surly teenage thing. My 2 younger nephews live right behind me so I see them a lot. I hate to admit it but the 5 year old is my favorite. He is just like my son so I can relate to him more. The 7 year old is just plain silly most of the time. But I do make a very conscious effort to not let it show. I would not want to hurt anyone's feelings.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I wish I had a niece or nephew but no one bothered to have any for me! So, my kids are everyone's favorite nephews and grandchildren because they're the only ones!

My dad had 3 brothers and a sister and I'll admit that one uncle (the only surviving one) has always been my favorite. It may be because we visited his family more often than the others because they lived down the street from my grandma. But, even now, I really enjoy his manner and his sense of humor. He, my dad and I all seem to have the same dry sense of humor and we have hilarious conversations. I have 12 cousins on my dad's side and some of them have said that my dad is their favorite uncle. I'll admit that he's the coolest of them all and I'm glad that I get him for a dad.

 

[JerseyJanice]

It's how you act upon it that I have a problem with.

I try to treat them all the same (five nephews and one niece now). Each one of them is very special to me. I was somewhat amazed that my son noticed how emotional I was to greet him. We haven't seen him since last summer since he lives far away. I was crying a little bit when he arrived because I was so happy to see him, and my son caught it.

When we talked about the visit tonight, I told DS that his cousin was like the son I didn't have yet when he was growing. There's a 14 year gap in ages between them, so this nephew was a lot like a son to me before DS was born. DS loves him a lot too, so he's fine with me being attached to him.

I love being an aunt as much as I do a mother--maybe more since I don't have to support them. It is truly one of the best things in my life.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I try to treat them all the same (five nephews and one niece now). Each one of them is very special to me. I was somewhat amazed that my son noticed how emotional I was to greet him. We haven't seen him since last summer since he lives far away. I was crying a little bit when he arrived because I was so happy to see him, and my son caught it.

When we talked about the visit tonight, I told DS that his cousin was like the son I didn't have yet when he was growing. There's a 14 year gap in ages between them, so this nephew was a lot like a son to me before DS was born. DS loves him a lot too, so he's fine with me being attached to him.

I love being an aunt as much as I do a mother--maybe more since I don't have to support them. It is truly one of the best things in my life.

I'm sure you are a great Aunt. The "you" was a general you. Something I am struggling with personally as how do you reconcile whether or not it is jealousy or whether or not someone is overdoing it when you notice a clear dose of favortism? In my case--tons of pictures, tons of ogling, tons of facebook messaging---it just is nauseating when what has been done in one year exceeds what has been done for the other 4 nieces/nephews combined in a 7 year period. That and everyone thinks this niece is perfect. I am sure one day she might be--but in the meantime any little fussiness, tantrum or whatever will be forgiven while over the years--any peep from the other peanut galleries would be intensely frustrating to her.

When it is that obvious--it's difficult to try to even give the benefit of the doubt.