My brother was always the favored child: The NYT Magazine devoted its pages this past Sunday to the "Year of Ideas" where it highlights those innovative and interesting products, theories and inventions that hit our collective minds this year. Although there were many, many listed, this one resonated. The CW is that you should treat all your children the same, showing no favoritism to the extent it is possible. The new theory is that it's okay to show favorites, and the kids are pretty much understanding. Now, it doesn't say you can lock one in the basement while buying new cars for the other, but an overall lean towards one and away from the other is not only okay, it's natural. Now having two children, and honestly without a favorite (one only being a year old, that'd hardly be fair), I have worried about it, wondering which one would resent me ("Which ONE?" you say...). Now I'm guilt free.