Do you agree girls mature faster than boys ? I think it’s bollocks

[JennyTals]

Just so much more is expected from girls

I'm 55 and I would say that in my experience they definitely used to.

But kids are far more bubble wrapped these days, so I would say that on the whole, the majority of kids tend to mature later now.

Well, later than they did in the 70s/80s when I was at school anyway.

Through my job I have known thousands of teenagers and girls definitely do hit puberty and mature earlier than boys.

Yes I think they do. Far more responsible at a younger age.

I teach secondary age and of course it is a huge generalisation, but actually it is more often than not the truth. I can spend an hour on duty at lunch and boys at all ages up to and including sixth formers will be pushing and shoving each other, kicking and running off, fart jokes, headlocks, ‘it wasn’t me!’ Even when seen really obviously etc. Girls have far better conversation skills, behave more like young adults generally.

Just from my experience I would say it's true.

On the whole I think they do, it's the same as how girls on a population scale have better speech skills at a younger age. There are hormonal and developmental differences even at a very young age

I would say so, my daughter has much more emotional maturity at 14 than her brother did at that age!
All of the girls I know are more mature than their male peers.

I think they do, but instead of giving them credit for their capabilities we just expect more from them. I don't doubt that if boys matured faster it would be used as evidence they were better in some way.

Between 11 and 13 it's really quite noticeable. I've spent a lot of time at sports with kids this age, all the tantrums and tears and throwing racquets is boys, the girls never need rounded up after being called over and are never rolling around or throwing water over each other. They are similar until about age 10 and similar again about 15-16.

Yes, definitely. Both physically and emotionally (obviously the two are connected). Year 6 girls are often taller than boys and noticeably more mature (in the sense of being more like teenagers already, not mature in the sense of being sensible!). It takes quite a while for most boys to catch up. I've been a teacher for 30 years, so have had a lot of opportunity to observe this. It's true that different things are often expected of girls, but I don't think that explains the fact that girls develop earlier than boys.

I think there are different societal expectations so girls are expected to mature earlier. After all it still seems to be prevalent that any bad or naughty behaviour is 'boys being boys' and general rough and tumble behaviour is expected and encouraged. Meanwhile girls are still expected to sit quietly etc. Still on tv and at the movies men's behaviour is excused, they are generally in charge etc. Girls are conditioned from a young age.

Physically yes, emotionally no (that depends much more on the quality of their parenting), behavioually yes but because of society's expectations.

Another teacher agreeing that the generalisation bears out. The tough year where there is a big divide between boys and girls has shifted from year 9 to year 8 in the last twenty years.

I don't think there's much difference once kids get to around age 16. I definitely don't think there's any maturity difference between an 18-20 year old man or woman.

However very young kids, under 5, I think there is a difference. Girls also go through puberty earlier. So I think in childhood there is a difference.

In adulthood, no way. It's just we expect more of women

From my kids and their friends I'd say girls mature faster, but I think it evens out by the time they leave school at 18.

It's because we've got no choice

IME there is a huge difference, and boys aren't generally taught to be academic and kind but sporty/rough and bolshy as if that is confidence. As a result men have super fragile egos because they are relentlessly picked apart by other boys and men because they all think that is how you become "top dog" and any emotions are weakness rather than being human. If you're so busy picking everyone apart and hiding behind ego, it's not surprising people who study are more likely to forge real friendships as they learn about being human and empathy. It's easier to be blissfully ignorant and rely on muscle.

There's definitely a difference as to when puberty hits - one only has to stand outside a year 5/year 6 classroom to see the tall girls and much shorter boys. So stands to reason that probably impacts maturity levels for a year or two as well.

I remember my son going to a y7 disco. The boys still looked like primary age kids and a lot of the girls looked 16! There was also an associated difference in behaviour

by y9 it was less obvious but I think girls just hit puberty earlier and it shows

i do agree there is a social expectation regarding behaviour as well but you also can’t dismiss the mismatch in puberty

Yes definitely, girls hit puberty earlier than boys so makes sense that their brains mature earlier too.
I think it's most noticeable in the 10-14 sort of age group.
By late teenage years it's evened up a bit again

Surely this has been proved by the latest brain research! The development of the brain in adolescent humans is completely different, and at the beginning they mature in different ways although things level out in adulthood.

Anyone with a functioning pair of eyes can see that girls enter puberty earlier than boys, meaning they mature sooner. To say this is bollocks is typical MN man-bashing.

With both sons and daughters, yes they do. No question.

Yes but as girls usually start puberty earlier it makes total sense, the brain's development and how it matures is all part of puberty as well as all the physical changes.

I do think more is expected of girls too as pp have said. That must contribute as well?

I'm very interested in where emotional maturity comes from, is it both nature and nurture? I've noticed a big difference between my teen dd and the boys she used to be good friends with at primary. I'd say by year 8 they were so different. But also amongst her girl friends, they have very different levels of emotional maturity which can often cause issues.

This.

Your question seems more that it’s unfair that more is expected of girls than boys, in terms of maturity, behaviour, responsibility etc. And I think that’s right, and starts at a very young age (“boys will be boys”).

The adultification of girls has been around for a long time.