Most kids prefer their mother to their father?
That’s not what I’ve observed and experienced.
That is because most "parents" don't parent today. They free range, Especially in white middle class "single parent" homes. The modern day "parent" tries to be the child's friend not their teacher.
And the modern day white, suburban, "middle class" single mom often trashes dad in front of the children as well as slap them on meds when parenting gets too difficult. In minority "single parent" households, they usually let the children run wild then beat them within an inch of their life when the child's misbehavior runs in direct conflict with mommykin's good time.
Child Protective will not touch minority abuse cases with a ten foot pole for fear of being labeled "racist" and because it is dangerous to the caseworker. They would much rather be used as a tool by a vindictive ex-wife from a suburban middle class neighborhood to criticize dad's style of parenting. It's all fun and games until the children become teens and start reporting the "BFF" single mom to CPS when she attempts to discipline them a day late and a dollar short.
The children know this and play it for all it's worth.