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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think that boys are easier to deal with than girls?

38 replies

allyre · 12/10/2016 20:58

I have all boys who were pretty full on when they were small, however, they are now all in their 20s and apart from a few drunken episodes I have to say that we haven't had a lot of issues with them. On the other hand any of my friends who have girls (especially the teenage ones) all seem to be a bit of a nightmare. It seems to me that teenage girls have a lot more issues than boys, especially with friends and peer pressure. Obviously this is not always but most of my friends have boys and girls and they definitely say the girls are harder work.

OP posts:
TheSparrowhawk · 12/10/2016 20:59

So do you think that's the fault of the girls?

Wolfiefan · 12/10/2016 21:00

All girls aren't the same.
All boys aren't either.
Confused

justdontevenfuckingstart · 12/10/2016 21:01

I had two girls and they were no trouble at all.

Waffles80 · 12/10/2016 21:01

If there are differences in adolescent human beings it's because of the different ways society conditions them the behave / respond, not because they have different chromosomes.

I'm a teacher. Teenagers are hard work sometimes, just like grown ups are hard work sometimes. Gender doesn't really come into it.

NameChange30 · 12/10/2016 21:02

Hmm, I wonder why that might be... maybe it's because they are GROWING UP IN A SEXIST WORLD

Biscuit
x2boys · 12/10/2016 21:05

I have two boys one of whom has autism and learning disabillities he can very challenging at times i dont think this has anything to to do with him being a boy however....

Original poster
allyre · 12/10/2016 21:06

I think there is a lot more pressure put on girls than boys and maybe therein lies the problem.

OP posts:
Yellowbird54321 · 12/10/2016 21:06

Do you think just possibly that some boys are easier to 'deal with' than some girls and that some girls are easier to 'deal with' than some boys?

carmenta · 12/10/2016 21:07

In my experience lots of people in their teens and early twenties (and lots of other ages too) are hard work, regardless of what's between their legs.

Insisting that people can only be in two buckets labelled "boy" and "girl" really does a serious disservice to the broad and fascinating spectrum of human behaviour.

sooperdooper · 12/10/2016 21:08

People are different shocker Hmm

Don't be daft, not all boys/men are the same and neither are all girls/women

FoundNeverland · 12/10/2016 21:10

Pure nonsense and anecdotal. I have a 14 year old daughter and a nephew who is 6 days older. My daughter is without doubt the better behaved and easiest to deal with. My nephew has been excluded, been in all types of trouble and is basically very difficult. However I would never generalise and say that girls are easier than boys.

All children are individual and to make such a generalisation indicates a lack of reasoning to me.

GplanAddict · 12/10/2016 21:11

All 3 of mine are wankers at the moment, gender irrespective.

FlabulousChic · 12/10/2016 21:14

I have two boys. My sister had girls. I had no problems at all with mine growing up. My nieces however were nothing trouble. You don't get the same worries with boys they generally don't want to look older, wear makeup and shirt skirts

FlabulousChic · 12/10/2016 21:15

That's short skirts sorry

BowieFan · 12/10/2016 21:19

I agree, boys are easier on the whole to raise. But I think it's only because girls are under so much pressure to conform to what society thinks they should and thus have more issues and problems when they don't fit in perfectly.

I teach both and it's always the girls who need the most pastoral care. I was really sad to hear that one girl needs about two hours to get ready in the morning before she'll even consider leaving the house.

Boys don't have that.

For my lads it's literally shower and combing their hair. 15 minutes and done.

BowieFan · 12/10/2016 21:22

But, I'll add not all men/boys are the same. My kids are brilliant and continue to amaze me every day. There are, however, some lads who aren't. I've had to exclude one or two of them. I think it's wrong to generalise.

But I think as a society we have a duty to make sure there are less pressures on kids as a whole, regardless of gender.

corythatwas · 12/10/2016 21:23

I have one of each. They are individuals.

Dd has had more health problems, but is a very easy-going and pleasant person to get on with.

Ds is also very pleasant, but did go through a defiant and unhappy phase; he is definitely the one who has been most influenced by peer pressure. I'd say he and his peers care at least as much about looking right and wearing the right things and all that sort of palaver.

I was the only girl, with three brothers. Out of the four of us, it was my eldest brother who was most influenced by peer pressure and was also the one with teen dramas- mainly around unhappy love; carried on well into his 20s. The rest of us were more placid.

ghostspirit · 12/10/2016 21:25

i have 6 kids 2 girls 4 boys. 2 baby boys are to young. my 6 year old girl can be really hard i have my fingers crossed she will be better as a teen :/ my other daughter is 19 she has been very difficult since she became a teen. i was hoping she would be grown out of it by now but she makes thing pretty tense at home. when she is not home things are really chilled and relaxed. my 14 year old son can be a bit moody but not overly. bit of huffing and puffing that sort of thing thats abut it hes pretty chilled and layed back. my 9 year old son is a bit whiney bit of a tell tale. but again hes a more chilled out than what the girls are. i know everyone is different but just how it is in my family.

corythatwas · 12/10/2016 21:27

"Boys don't have that.

For my lads it's literally shower and combing their hair. 15 minutes and done."

This shows the danger of generalising. My ds would happily spend an hour in the bathroom every morning if I let him. He will stand in front of my bedroom mirror for ages styling his hair while the clock ticks. The house is under a permanent cloud of Lynx. Dd otoh stays in bed as long as she can and can get ready in minutes.

Wrinklytights · 12/10/2016 21:27

Yabvu. I wonder why this kind of sexism seems to be so acceptable. I have loads of friends who come out with this kind of shit regularly. I remember my Aunt saying how pleased she was to only have boys as she wouldnt have to deal with teenage tantrums. Sadly for her, both her sons were absolute nightmares in their teens!

Optimist3 · 12/10/2016 21:30

I know lots of teen boys and girls. I'd say it's not about sex, it's about personality. So I know laid back male and female teens plus teen boys and girls who are a handful.

Wrinklytights · 12/10/2016 21:31

P.s. I have two girls and three boys. They are just 5 completely different personalities.

arethereanyleftatall · 12/10/2016 21:35

I have 2 dds and the moment who have been incredibly easy thus far. 6&8. They're both the 'sitting quietly colouring in' type. I expect it'll be harder when their teens, but I guess that's fair - an easier first ten years, a harder second.

whattheseithakasmean · 12/10/2016 21:39

My teenage girls have had their moments, but at least, unlike my colleague's teen boy, they haven't taken hard drugs, assaulted their mum, run away from home and been arrested.

Stop press: some teens are a nightmare, their sex doesn't come into it.

BowieFan · 12/10/2016 21:42

Corythatwas

Oh I completely agree with you. I think in general though most lads could be ready in a tiny amount of time, whereas I don't think you'll find a girl of any age who'd leave the house without even basic makeup, which takes time.

I teach lots of lads though, I know the stench of Lynx far too well. What I don't get is how they can't smell it on themselves. They're always topping it up!

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