OK so IYE are boys or girls easier....?

[soph28]

I have a 3yo boy and a 21mo girl and dh and I both agree that ds is a piece of cake compared to dd.

He is relaxed, sociable, chatty, outgoing, and has always been extremely laid back, a good eater and sleeper. The only aspect that makes him difficult is the HUGE amount of energy he has. He has only ever had one full blown tantrum and that was is Grandpa's fault!

DD on the other hand is extremely cute BUT a little minx, immensely stubborn and quite whingy. She is very sensitive and cries over every little bump etc. She will throw herself/toys/food/drinks on the ground and scream over anything- half the time the reason is only apparent to herself and I am mystified! She smirks when we tell her off unless we are VERY severe and she always wants her own way and to do things herself.

Are these typical boy/girl differences? Just wondering what you other ladies think?

If so, I hope no.3 is a boy

[juuule]

i've 3 boys and 6 girls. I've found that differences are more to do with personality rather than gender.

[ByTheSea]

I think you'll get lots of different answers here. I have 2 DSs and 2 DDs. Both my DSs are extremely challenging and my girls are pure joy who rarely give me a moment's bother. So, in my personal, anecdotal experience, girls are FAR easier.

[northeastmummy]

Hi soph - I don't have any comparison on this one as I only have one DD ... but I was just wondering how you're doing? Soph73 had her baby this week but I wondered for a moment if it was actually you .

Anyway, hadn't seen you on the scotland or april threads for a while and TLSM showed me how to find you.

I'm still hanging around and wondering when baby is going to show up. I'm not really in any rush thankfully!

[Novicecamper]

Think it depends on the individuals AND what you mean by 'easy'.

Close friends have girls and they are much easier than their, and my, boys as they will sit and focus on a craft activity or game for absolutely ages. The boys I know have more energy and need to be running about and making noise.

If it's nice and mine can go outside they are a doddle. If they are cooped up inside, they are not so easy.

The girls I know have more friend issues - falling out and not being friends or feeling dominated/intimidated etc. Boys seem to just get on and play with anyone so no issues there.

That's just my experience though and I'm talking about children from toddler to 7 or 8.

[cory]

I have one of each sex. Both have gone through whingy phases, both have gone through phases where they seemed to have more energy than I really needed, both have had fallings out with friends and reconciliations. Looking at them now, ds is more sensitive, a fussier eater and more prone to tantrums, and dd has more of a sense of humour- but ds is 7 and dd 11 so that might just explain it.

My big brother was a lot whingier and more sensitive than me throughout our childhood, but little brother probably about the same, littlest brother incredibly stoic about most things but had days when he'd blow up over anything.

[booge]

Both DD and DS have their moments, you never know which will be the easier one day to day.

[SmugColditz]

I actaully think these are typical older child/younger child differences. The younger child is raised with slightly less consistancy, and is watching the older for tips, and wants to do everything the older does.

I have this with mine who are BOTH boys.

[DarthVader]

I think boys need more exercise. If they get it they are easy and if not then they are difficult.

[suedonim]

I have two of each and ime, neither sex is the 'easier' one. They are just different, I would say and personality plays a massive part as well.

[NotABanana]

Boys are more straight forward.

Girls are more hormonal and tempremental.

[blinkingthreetimes]

Boys are much easiar IMO but then I only have one ds and 4 dd's

[blueshoes]

'3 boys 6 girls' Juuule wins. I don't need to read any further.

[duchesse]

My children are:
boy 14
girl 13
girl 10

Ime both types carry their own difficulties and joys. My daughters are no more hormonal and temperamental than my son because I do not tolerate moodiness taken out on others from any of them. All my children have a close relationship with both their parents, which helps I think. There do not seem to be any control issues, apart from daughter 1's desire to be a neat and organised freak in a household of messy disorganised people. I don't feel threatened by my daughters- I find them a daily joy, mostly, and my husband doesn't feel threatened by my son I think this helps as well- there are no weird issues going on behind the scenes.

My son is messier than any of us, and more disorganised, which can be a source of friction, and the two girls are way more emotionally mature than he is, so conflict does happen, usually to do with them winding each other up deliberately.

On the whole though I wouldn't say that any of them is more or less difficult (although daughter 2 does have her moments, more due to temperament than gender imo), they are all merely different from each other. Hope that helps.

[throckenholt]

I think boys need more exercise. If they get it they are easy and if not then they are difficult.

So true I think this should get quote of the week !

In my observation I think generally girls are quieter and more willing to do sitting down things more often than boys.

But boys can be equally whingy and tamrummy - that is definitely a personality variation.

[OrmIrian]

It varies. Most of the time my DD is an angel. Really an angel. I wonder where she she came from. But if she gets overtired and gets into a strop....hell breaks loose.

My eldest boy does stupid things, has a temper, can be destructive and tells whoppers. But he's the most loving child I've ever known and incredibly empathetic.

My youngest boy is a law unto himself. Lovely, kind, intelligent, thoughtful etc etc but so stubborn. I mean unbeleivably so. About the oddest things.

I do have to say that I find boys easier to deal with generally. I mean not just my children.

[oydal]

Mine are similar to yours Soph28, boy - so easy...can take him anywhere tantrum free, clearly knows where the line is and when to stop. Girl - completly opposite, always pushing boundaries, very stuborn and can tantrum forever!

Don't know if it's a girl/boy thing, I've always put it down to different personalities.

[annoyingdevil]

I think it's all down to personality rather than gender. My dd needs loads of exercise and loves to be outdoors, her favourite activity is riding on her bike. DS is more loving and clingy and a lot more sensitive - more emotional all round

[MNersanonymous]

Agree with annoyingdevil - so much more about personality.

Maybe the only thing that can be compared is the 'stereotypical' active boy vs the calmer girls.

But I can blow the stereotype away with ds as he is really not that energetic and concentrates on things for ages.....but whinges for the entire EU sometimes...maybe he's a bit of a girly type though!

[brimfull]

I have both,not much difference ,both quite easy children.

Ds's attention span shorter in the early yrs.

[Psychomum5]

I am of the opinion that in general you will find that whatever a persons first child is, they will always find that sex the easiest.

I am, out of almost all my friends, the ony one who has a girl as the eldest, and IME, girls are easier, and yet all of my friends with eldest boys differ in their opinions!

sooo....I am either barking (according to some of my friends), or have particularly active boys! (or not particularly whingy whiny girls who complain all the time!!)

I also do agree tho that it is a lot to do with personality. plus family dynamics and where abouts in the family each child is.

it is not so 'cut and dried' that boys are easier and girls hard or vice versa. I could say that middle children are easier, or 9yos, or even 5yo boys...(which I wouldn;t as 5yo boys are demons erm....spirited)

[Meandmyjoe]

Everyone told me that boys were easier as babies but harder as teenagers. Deffinitely the case with my brother who was the most placid and lovely baby. My sister was a dreadful baby but a lovely toddler and teenager.

I hope not the case with my ds. He is the most difficult whingey baby, who throws massive tantrums at only 8 months! I really hope this doesn't get worse and mean he will be a dreadful teenager too! I would say it is mainly due to personality though, not gender.

[bundle]

possibly to do more with birth order than gender, soph28

[Swedes]

I have
Boy 16 years
Boy 12 years
Girl 2.6 years
Boy 9 months

I think boys are more straightforward. Girls are so complex, even at two years old! Boys are kind, loyal, loving but then they go and spoil it by rolling on the floor wrestling.