When my three children were young and old enough to voice their thoughts I am positive that this was one of the first complaints that I heard. What's a mother to do? Well... I have a solution. (It's quite simple really.) Simply confess that the other child is the favorite! (It works. Try it.) Let's run through some possible scenarios so you get the technique down...
Child questions:
How come (sister's name here) gets to stay up later than me?
Mom answers:
Because she is my favorite. (Real answer is because she is older.)
Child questions:
How come (brother's name here) gets to have three sleep over this month and I don't?
Mom answers:
Because he is my favorite.
(Real answer is he has been invited to 3 sleep over birthday parties.)
Get the picture? (It helps of course that you smile and answer with all the sarcasm you can muster.) Not convinced? Try it at least several times when the situation arises. I guarantee it will work. (And besides our dog is my favorite. But don't tell anyone.)
