Parents would probably deny it, but Canadian researchers have made a startling assertion: Parents take better care of pretty children than they do ugly ones.Researchers at the University of Alberta carefully observed how parents treated their children during trips to the supermarket. The researchers noted whether the parents belted their youngsters into the grocery cart seat, how often the parents’ attention lapsed and the number of times the children were allowed to engage in potentially dangerous activities. They also rated each child’s physical attractiveness on a 10-point scale. The findings, not yet published, were presented at the Warren E. Kalbach Population Conference in Edmonton, Alberta.When it came to buckling up, pretty and ugly children were treated in starkly different ways, with seat belt use increasing in direct proportion to attractiveness. When a woman was in charge, 4 per cent of the homeliest children were strapped in compared with 13.3 per cent of the most attractive children. The difference was even more acute when fathers led the shopping expedition — none of the least attractive children were secured with seat belts, while 12.5 percent of the prettiest children were. Homely children were also more often out of sight of their parents.Age also played a role. Younger adults were more likely to buckle their children into the seat, and younger children were more often buckled in. Older adults were inclined to let children wander out of sight.Although the researchers were unsure why, good-looking boys were usually kept in closer proximity than pretty girls. They speculated that girls might be considered more competent and better able to act independently than boys. —NYT
