Opinion ID: 1878750
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: age of the children

Text: ¶ 17. The chancellor noted that the children were 17 and 5. She stated that the age of the 17 year old would allow her to state a preference as to which parent she preferred to live with. That child's preference will be addressed below. The other child is 5, a child of tender years. The chancellor concluded this factor did favor the mother. However, the chancellor correctly noted that this was only a factor, not a rule. ¶ 18. This Court has held that the `tender years' doctrine has undergone a weakening process in many jurisdictions as well as in this state. Albright v. Albright, 437 So.2d 1003, 1005 (Miss.1983). Our Court reaffirmed the rule that the best interests of the child should be the polestar consideration in child custody cases. Id. All other factors are given equal weight. Id. Although the chancellor believed this factor favored Angela, this was only one factor to be considered in this case.