To think that girl babies/toddlers as much more independent than boy babies/toddlers

[doradaisy]

I have a 3 and half year old DD and 11 month old ID twin boys.

My daughter was showing a more independent streak even as a baby - taking the spoon off me when feeding herself, holding her bottle, reaching for toys and pulling them off me/other children.

The boys are great, doing mostly the same things she was at this age, sitting up, smiling, etc. However, they seem much more easy going, have bit less initiative. For example, they can hold their bottle, but are happier for me to do it whereas my daughter wanted to hold her own bottle!!

My daughter is like that even now, want to do everything herself and can be quite bossy!!

In some ways, boys are easier babies as they are quite happy to wait and/or let me put them in the buggy whereas my daughter used to kick up a bit more! (maybe it's a twin thing too?)

Have heard a lot from friends/creche workers that girls more independent.
Am just doing a little mumsnet survey. Are girls more independent as babies and toddler than boys? Or is it personality?

(little aside: interesting how girls seem to be leaders as children but strangely don't get top jobs in politics/academia??)

''All babies and children are unique in their own way.''

Amen to that !

I was also going to say could be an eldest child thing, I have 2 boys but the older one always has been more independent and younger is clingier

My DD (the older one) is very independent. My DS is a bit less so (although still pretty independent). I think your generalisation is probably true on average but does of course depend on the individual child in any given case.

My DD is very much like yours. No boys to compare, but I think it's prob down to personality and maybe if the parents treat the kids differently

Yabu

Sweeping generalisation

I agree OP,boys are deffo less independent. Studies have shown that they
GENERALLY take longer to do most things. Girls GENERALLY do better at school, just go to any primary school and you will notice that most of the children in the top sets are girls

I think it's a personality thing regardless of gender. DS (19mo) is fiercely independent and wants to do everything for himself - I can't even unpeel his bananas for him, he would rather struggle for twenty minutes to do it himself. Trying to put him in his buggy brings on a tantrum, he has to climb in for himself, he won't be fed because he wants to feed himself, and he has to climb the stairs for himself and open doors for himself.

He's the master of hugs though and very affectionate, he's just a stubborn little bugger when it comes to doing things for himself.

I don't have any girls, but my 2.5 yo DS has always been fierecely independent. My mum had 2 of each, and said she had a clingy one and an independent one of each too.

Maybe the OP's boys seem less independent that her DD because they are twins?

I think if you don't have both genders to compare, you probably cannot compare fully. Personality, birth order all that do influence behaviour, obviously...but some things ARE gender related. Maybe its even because both genders exist side by side that it happens, who knows...