Life isn’t fair, and there’s no better time to learn that than during childhood. As much as we like to believe children are blind to the inequalities of the world when they’re young and innocent, they notice when someone else has more than they do almost instantaneously. If you cut a cupcake in half and one of the halves is smaller than the other, that will trigger a huge reaction in a certain kind of kid. It’s more difficult for a kid to recognize when someone has less than they do, but when they’re not getting as much as a kid who is getting a lot, all heck breaks loose. 

Children can’t control their life circumstances, so it’s up to the parents to make sure they’re grateful for the things they do have. If you don’t learn that comparison is the thief of joy, you’ll have a difficult road ahead of you.