Does your 2.4 year old know if they are a boy or a girl?

[Galena]

Really odd experience today in DD's developmental checkup. She has had yearly checks because she was born at 27 weeks and it's 'What they do' in this area. One of the questions I was asked was 'Does DD know she's a little girl?' I looked flummoxed and said I doubted it as I didn't think she really understood the difference between boys and girls - and sure enough, when asked she said she was a boy.

Do your children know if they are boys or girls and do they know the difference? Does it make a difference that she is an only child so far? And does it matter ?! It struck me as an odd question to ask anyway!

[FannyLogan]

DD is 3 next month and doesn't really know or understand but is v bright in other areas!

[thisisyesterday]

ds3 is 2yrs and 3 months and as he barely talks it's hard to tell, but i would say no, he has no idea about genders

[ginortea]

Yes, totally normal for her not to know and no, It DEFINITELY doesn't matter. I think it's brilliant. It goes to show you've done a great job of letting her get on with exactly what she's interested in without pushing her into girly-girly things.

[MissPricklePants]

my dd is 2.4 and she doesnt know. She thinks every child is a boy!x

[Galena]

:) Glad to know it's all fine - it was just so odd! (And I'm going to boast and tell you that she's way ahead of her chronological age in everything except physically - and she has cerebral palsy so not too surprising!)

[MamaChoo]

DD knew she was a girl at 2 (also mummy is a girl, daddy is a boy) but didn't have an idea of gender being fixed till later (eg i'll be a boy when i grow up). I think its one of those things they don't know about until they care, then they become interested.

[colditz]

My children thought your gender depended on your haircut. Ds2 was adament that if his hair got past his shoulders, his willy would drop off and he would turn into a mummy.

[ChillyCooper]

Just asked DS who's around the same age and he said "little boy" but then he also thinks he's a lobster

[notcitrus]

Ds is just 3 and is convinced the pronouns he and her, and she and him, go together.
She and he seem to get used almost at random.

About 6 months ago he said he was a boy and a girl and a banana all at the same time.
Dn, a few months older, says he is a boy AND a princess. He doesn't believe in princes as there aren't any books about them and there aren't any prince outfits at nursery.

I recall a family friend's little boy about 20 years ago just learning to talk, and he was taught to answer three questions, what's your name (Name), how old are you (2), and what are you (pause... I had no idea what the answer was... boy). I thought it a really wierd thing to teach a child at the time.

[DeWe]

Ds until fairly recently (he's 4) would answer with roughly equal amounts boy, girl or dog. Even now, I think he knows he's a boy but there are times he says he's a girl (usually when his big sisters are allowed to do something he isn't)

[olibeansmummy]

Ds is 2.3 and I don't think he does. He knows about ladies and men but like a pp seems to think this is based on hair length! He refers to everyone as 'she' as most of his friends at nursery are girls.

[Desiderata]

I'm really pleased to know that Fanny's dc is very bright!

Who knows? Does it matter?

[SurprisEs]

DD is 2.2 and she knows she's a girl and she knows "boys" not sure what criteria she uses though. I think, not sure, she learnt it through the repetition of it's the boys turn or it's the girls turn in my desperate attempt to teach her to share.
I really wouldn't be bothered if she didn't know though. Not at this age.