to have various different reasons for wanting to punch in the face mothers of boys who...

[scatteredbraincells]

...keep going on about how difficult life is for a parent of boys and how lucky I am to have a girl and I couldn't possibly understand...

Reason 1: I HATE competitive misery... who's life is harder than everyone else's, who wakes up more at night, who's kids beat each other up more etc etc etc

Reason 2: It irritates me beyond belief when people assume they know anything about a child's character and behaviour merely by tis gender. What morons would expect them to be like is totally irrelevant to what they really are like. My son played with dolls houses until he was 9 and my daughter recorded a fart tape at 10, thinkin it's hillarious, both of which are opposed to what little ladies and little men should behave like (boak)

Reason 3: without trying to be dramatic, I find it pretty ungrateful toward life to have two or three healthy happy children that you can afford to clothe, feed and educate and complain about their gender. But then the complaining is not really complaining, it's a disgustingly obvious way to seek some sort of parenting medal, related to reason no.1

And I'm sick to the back teeth of being told that at least their children will be friends all their lives because they're all boys, while my poor children don't have any siblings to relate to!!!!!!!

I know I would BU to actually punch any of them in the face, but AIBU to want to? At least the one who told me that I'm very licky to have a girl, they're angels!!!! You'd think that she's never been a teenager herself

I have a boy. I LOVE having a boy. Wouldn't have a clue what to do with a girl!!!!!
I have also never heard a conversation like the one you're relating. Bizarre!

2shoes, you're kidding!!!!!

about your SIL and her comparisons i mean

no I am sorry I am not.....
she is a competitive woe it is me person.

I have 2 boys and I have this conversation all the time. Only because I was so surprised how different boys and girls seem to be, regardless of parenting. It is also a reason to justify my parenting decisions against mothers with girls who approach parenting differently.

However, I don't go in for competitive misery and I don't think boys are harder. On the whole I think they are physically harder. The need to run, jump, climb INCESSANTLY while girls are far more likely to sit still. Emotionally though, I think boys are more straightforward and less complicated.

I don't think I would be as good a mother to girls though and I am perfectly happy with my lot.

I know I will be rounded upon for my sweeping, patronising generalisations but there is some truth in them, hence all the 'raising boys, 21st century boys, extraordinary school for boys' conversations doing the rounds at the moment.

I genuinely believe that insisting that they are all the same hasn't done anyone any favours in recent years - and this is all a bit of backlash.

Don't take it seriously, it's only chatter.

2shoes, she does deserve a slap

really??? Girls sit still??? Where are these girls, I want one

I think you'd be as good a mother to girls as you are to boys, you adjust and grow with your individual child and their character...

I feel really sad when I hear this - I have two boys and whilst they are indeed very noisy and boisterous they are also loving, affectionate, funny,kind and warm and I would NEVER swap them!!

I have boys and they are good as gold, feel sorry for some of the girls mums i know!

I have four boys. Why the feckity feck would I use this as a way of showing how hard my life is?

Yes they do things that make my jaw drop and they seem to have no explaination as to why they do these things. Yes they enjoy putting buckets on their heads and running into walls I dont remember DD doing or wanting to do any of these things.

But being a boy is not a SN is it? Well unless you have a boy with SN.

I have no idea how I would react to someone expecting sympathy for having boys

Come to think of it though... I do get that 'look' when I tell people I have 4 boys.

So I will punch them from now on

I think people would look at you like that whatever the gender of your children, probably the phrase "I have 5 children" makes certain people think that you're either a loon or haven't heard of contraception. That's another one of my pet hates but I'll punch those ones another day, kinda busy with my lot today

Do parents really believe girls are good, boys are naughty?? Or girls all like pink and fluffy stuff and all boys like guns and cars??

I don't believe that anyone who's had more than a passing experience of kids thinks like this, if they do they are morons.

I have two boys, from the day they were born they were and still are completely different, DS1 is hyper and in-your-face, whereas DS2 is much more lazy chilled out.

When I was a girl I was a complete tom-boy and a complete fuck up as a teenager, in comparison my brother gave my mum very little to worry about.

What LadyBla said at 10.46.

i have one of each, but I think it must be lovely to have 3/4 boys, especially when they grow up and all love their mum:o

Never have I ever heard anyone complain about having boys.

I have two, very happy with both and never once felt the need to swap for girls. I count myself as very lucky to have two fab, funny, warm, (have their moments but don't they all?) boys.

lol@the firstmrsdevere!

I also have four boys and yes they do make a lot of noise and mess. However I have NEVER mentioned their gender and never would, I'm sure they would be just the same if they were girls .

It does get annoying when people feel sorry for me though. Why????

I like boys wasn't bothered that I didnt have a girl. Seems like people can't believe that and think that secretly somewhere in my heart I want a girl.

All my children are blooming hard work. I have two boys and one girl. Loads of people do say "oh you are lucky/clever to have a girl too". I don't really care. They are just chatting. I did want all boys, but DD is ok , when she is not yelling.

I have three DDs and get this often. Recently though I've found they shut up pretty quickly if I ask for any suggestions as to how to part DD1 - 10 from her 6 stick insect corpses, which she refuses to bury, or bin, because she "wants to see what happens to dead things"....

Works a treat.

I have 2 boys. I don't think they are harder at all! I think girls are much harder. All those hormones for a start I find boys are less dramatic and what you see is what you get. I don't think I would be able to handle girls. I think we'd clash terribly.

Hecate, those are my feelings exactly - I think we get the children that suit us (I appear to be suit feral chimps .

I don't think people are being, in the main, self pitying but more likely to be talking about specifics.

For example, I have exclaimed to my friend recently that she is lucky to have a girl as they look so lovely in their red woolly school tights. At no point did I intend her to think I wasn't pleased with my own children and really was just talking about leg covering.

Personally I can't stand people who are always talking about how 'blessed' they are to have children and how wonderful it all is. Yes - we know, that's a given, but we are also allowed to remark that some parts of it are more difficult than others (for parents of both genders) in casual conversation.

"I think we get the children who suit us"

I think you are 100% correct. I think I would be a crap mum to nt children as well as to girls . My boys really suit me and my abilities as a parent.

what are nt children?

neurotypical.

not autistic, in other words.

I think they're weird and they talk funny.