Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

amongst your friends who is considered easier- boys or girls?

55 replies

beclev24 · 22/03/2019 20:53

I'm talking about young children here. Where we live and amongst my friendship group, almost everyone I know believes that girls are 'easier'- they are generally more compliant, quieter etc etc whereas boys are much naughtier/ more active/ physical/ likely to wear you out etc. (I have boys and this generally chimes with what I see with them vs the girls that they know) Then I was talking to a friend who lives a long way away and she said where she lives people believe the complete opposite- that boys are much simpler / less full of drama etc etc. I was really surprised to see just how different the general perception was.

I know these things are stereotypes/ that kids are individuals etc etc. I'm not so interested in the reality of which is true- more in what the general perception is where you live/ in your friendship group about which sex is easier to raise? Or does no one talk about this at all?

OP posts:
Thistles24 · 22/03/2019 21:05

As the mum of 3 boys, I get 50:50- the “oh I could NEVER cope with 3 boys,ugh!!” and “you’re lucky you didn’t have a girl, boys are SO much easier!”.
Ultimately, I think it comes down to the child’s nature and parenting. DS1 is full of energy, but has never been destructive or disobedient with it. He does need to exercise every day, else he just jumps around the house like a puppy. DS2 loves art and reading, and enjoys a walk but isn’t as energetic as DS1, and DS3 is looking to be more like DS1. They are all pretty quiet and compliant, but 1&2 are approaching teenage years so ask me on the flip side Grin

spaghettipeppers · 22/03/2019 21:15

I think girls from 7-8 on can be more difficult than boys- they seem to have so many more friendship issues.

bibbitybobbityyhat · 22/03/2019 21:17

None of this will matter in a few years time.

babysharkah · 22/03/2019 21:18

I think it depends on the child.

Drogosnextwife · 22/03/2019 21:20

I am a childminder and I have 2 of my own DC. IME girls are generally easier because they seem to be a bit more independent and they are a bit calmer than boys, but not always the case.

raindancemumma · 22/03/2019 21:30

A general opinion from, friends who have one of each, is that girls are less chaotic and are more placid, whereas boys will push your buttons and wind you up - but then become way more affectionate and feel you back in. I have found that boys are louder and more physical with each other that girls, at an early age at least!

Tfoot75 · 22/03/2019 21:30

People generally think that girls are easier I think. I think there's absolutely no difference until at least age 2, and after that social influences start to kick in and by school age there is a difference. I'm not sure whether this is caused by gender stereotypes and differences in parenting due to this, or whether it's entirely natural?

raindancemumma · 22/03/2019 21:33

*reel not feel

Original poster
beclev24 · 22/03/2019 23:31

thanks - this is ineresting. So far everyone is saying that boys are generally perceived to be harder. I was so surprirsed when my friend said that girls were where she lived and wondered what was going on. FWIW she has 3 girls the same ages as my 3 boys and hers are easier than mine by orders of magnitude - there is absolutely no disputing this!

OP posts:
thaegumathteth · 22/03/2019 23:37

Here everyone would pretty much say boys are easier. I’d agree from my limited sample of one boy and one girl Grin

I have a friend with 4 boys and another friend with 4 girls. People definitely perceive the mum of girls as ‘braver’.

Of course it’s all anecdotal and irrelevant anyways really but yes definitely I don’t know anyone who thinks girls are easier.

Meet0nTheledge · 22/03/2019 23:39

I don't recall this ever coming up in conversation TBH. Some are easier to parent than others but its not noticeably easier with one sex or the other.

madmother1 · 22/03/2019 23:41

I found my gentle DS so much easier than my tom boy DD. They are pretty much the same temperament as young adults as they were children. I don't think I'm the norm though!

user1466783975 · 22/03/2019 23:42

I remember my doctor telling me 'girls are easier up to seven and boys easier after seven.
I have one of each(late teens)and this has been very true

Mmmhmmokdear · 22/03/2019 23:47

Depends on the age. Girls have been considered easier from baby / toddler to about 5-6, then the friendship & hormone issues start. I'm currently in the thick of it with my 2! Now, amongst my friends, it's the accepted wisdom that boys at this age are easier!

Deadringer · 23/03/2019 00:54

My friends with girls think girls are easier and much nicer, my friends with boys think boys are easier and much nicer.
I have both. My DS and one of my dds are very easy, the other 3 dds, not so much. My ds has never been affectionate, contrary to what people usually say, but two of my girls are. I guess they are all just different.

Original poster
beclev24 · 23/03/2019 01:52

fascinating!
@thaegumathteth that's so interesting about your friends wiht 4 boys/ 4 girls. people are always telling me how brave i am with 3 boys (can't even imagine 4) whereas my friends with 3 girls never hear this. Whatt kinds of things do people see as the issues with girls that are so hard? And do you mind me asking what type of area you live in ? City/ rural/ village etc. thanks so much!

OP posts:
3in4years · 23/03/2019 02:28

I always thought boys were considered 'easier'.

Poppins2016 · 23/03/2019 02:39

My DS is 5 months old and he's certainly easier than the baby girls I know. Additionally, all of the mums I've met with two or more children have said that their baby boys were easier in comparison to their baby girls.

brizzlemint · 23/03/2019 02:59

My daughters were easier when younger and my sons were easier as teenagers. They were all great though Smile

BitchQueen90 · 23/03/2019 06:01

I only have one DS who will be 6 in June and he's very tiring. Up at the crack of dawn every day, always wants to do physical things (getting him to sit still and do some drawing or something is impossible.) And he always runs everywhere. He never just walks nicely with me!

That being said he's not badly behaved so I don't feel like he's hard work, he just wears me out!

Everyone says girls are harder as teenagers because of friendship drama/bitchy behaviour but I think that's a bit of a generalisation because none of that happened to me as a teen. We'll see what's to come!

Ohyesiam · 23/03/2019 06:04

Yes be heard lots of people say boys are easier

HalfBloodPrincess · 23/03/2019 06:04

I have dd15, ds14 and ds1.5. My daughter was easiest up until about 11 then it switched.

The toddler is the easiest at the moment.

whiteroseredrose · 23/03/2019 06:21

I had an easy DS and kickass DD. A friend had it the other way around. Depends on the child.

Phillipa12 · 23/03/2019 06:25

I have a little old lady i visit who asks me this after i tell her i have 3 boys and 1 girl. I just say that they all go through hard stages but it all evens out in the end. I had noticed though that my boys were physically harder work and my girl mentally harder work.

BertieBotts · 23/03/2019 06:33

Young children, girls. Teenagers, boys. That's the perceived wisdom anyway.

Swipe left for the next trending thread