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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

Are boys harder than girls?

36 replies

BibBabBob · 12/03/2006 19:25

My gran said to me on the phone the other night- "of course boys are far more tedious than girls." Gran had 3 girls and 1 boy so she had some experience. I have one single beautiful little boy, and have found things incredibly hard. I never feel like the poor lad is happy and when he gets a cold he seems to be like a lot of men I know- gets a "man's cold". I know that parenthood is supposed to be hard but I'm interested to hear what other peoples experiences were of raising boys v girls?

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chipkid · 12/03/2006 19:28

I have 4 year old boy and he is soooo difficult! when we go anywhere, when people come to the house-he is so rowdy and noisy that we are constantly trying to reign him in.

dd-well she is an angel-can take her anywhere-if she spills her drink-she immediatley gets a cloth and wipes it up (she is 17 months)-very keen to tidy, very obliging easy easy easy

your gran is right as far as I am concerned!

colditz · 12/03/2006 19:29

My little boy is one of the easiest babies and toddlers I know. Interestingly my mother has always said boys are easier, and she hoped I was inflicted with a girl

cutekids · 12/03/2006 19:29

i don't think any are harder than the other...but definately different! i think they're completely different "animals"!!!

colditz · 12/03/2006 19:30

I was a nightmare, apparently, but my brother was a slug - ate, slept, and pooed occasionally.

IlanaK · 12/03/2006 19:30

I totally disagree. MY almost 5 year old boy is totally tidy and good manaered. He can be loud and physical, but is also really sweet natured. I have a friend with a simlar age girl who is a nightmare - totally hard to manage, loud and cheeky. I think it just depends on the boy/gril. But I for one am thrilled that I have two boys and hope the next one (when I have one) will be a boy too.

colditz · 12/03/2006 19:32

It depends too on what you think of as difficult.

I find the constant chatter from little girls very very wearing, and would rather spend an hour in the park every day, while my little boy 'explodes' and pretends to be a motor bike, until he is exhausted and placid again!

kid · 12/03/2006 19:35

Speaking from experience, DD was much calmer, quieter and easier then what DS in now. I think DD had her first tantrum when she was 3 years old where as DS had a tantrum before he even turned 1!

I find it much harder in general with DS, but I'm not entirely convinced whether it is a boy thing or a 2nd child thing!

WigWamBam · 12/03/2006 19:35

What your gran had was experience with one particular boy and three particular girls. Not all children are the same, and not all children follow the pattern that hers did. Some children are easier than others - regardless of whether they are girls or boys.

It seems strange to label ALL boys as one particular thing and ALL girls as another - it doesn't allow for the huge variety of personality types there are, and it almost sets up an expectation that a boy is going to be hard work and a girl easy.

colditz · 12/03/2006 19:37

Meant to add..

Whereas some people would prefer to sit and chatter all day than be traipsing for miles in any weather.

And I am with WWB on this, it is more down to personality.

lachey · 12/03/2006 19:37

My DS was a great baby, but is rather exhausting now!!!! Hes 3.
I think girls tend to be more whingy, where boys are quite rowdy. I say this because my mates daughters are like this, but I could be totally wrong!!! To be honest though, I think DS prefers playing with girls more than other boys!! (Or it could be because he loves dolls and dressing up!!!)

hunkermunker · 12/03/2006 19:40

Tedious?!

getbakainyourjimjams · 12/03/2006 19:49

My friend has 3 boys and 1 girl and says girls are a nightmare.

I have 3 boys, but they're all very different. I love the way boys just charge around shouting. Perhaps it depends what you like doing?

poppiesinaline · 12/03/2006 20:05

If you generalise then I would say

Boys = loud, boistrous (sp?!) , on the go, full on, very physical. Small concentration span. BUT what you see is what you get.

Girls = quieter, better levels of concentration, BUT can nag nag nag and they hold a grudge and play emotional games.

That is a BIG generalisation. Always exceptions to the rules. All children are different with different personalities.

Personally I find boys easier. (I have 2 boys and 1 girl) Although the noise level is higher they are simpler creatures and easier to work out. Girls are in a level all of their own!

expatinscotland · 12/03/2006 20:07

I don't know and will never find out. I have two girls and that's us done .

nzshar · 12/03/2006 20:14

I'm the same as expatinscotland but the other way around two boys here :)

hermykne · 12/03/2006 20:15

bibbabbob
dont get too upset over your boys behaviour or feel a tendancy to compare other boys / children to him, the best thing a child can learn is to entertain themselves, boys just take longer to do this, how old is oyur boy? my ds is now 19mths and since i joined a gym where there a creche he is beginnning to play with a toy for a little longer than beofre. dd plays for ages with one toy . its their nature, dont let this put u off having other children! my dd clambered for my attention prior to ds and now they are great pals (albeit they do fight as we too fo the same sex), i always look for sound practical advice on boy rearing, seeing as i am a girl and know what girls like. i think little boys can be veryt affectionate too

popsycalindisguise · 12/03/2006 20:17

I love having two boys. They are a handful - loud, biosterous, demanding, whingey. But loving, gentle, kind and adorable. But that is their personality not because they are BOYS.

crazydazy · 12/03/2006 20:27

I have one of each and find them both hard work together but both of them are a joy to have when they are apart.

DD - is like a little friend, I can talk to her quite deeply but she's not very affectionate.

DS - very tactile and loving, can be very boisterous but doesn't mind me trailing him aroud shopping centres which is a bonus for me

Mercy · 12/03/2006 20:30

I have one boy and one girl.

I could go into detail but basically it's swings and roundabouts

elmie · 12/03/2006 20:32

Hi, I find my first son sooo easy but I did not relase it at the time. He was kind, quite, and all ways happy!!!!
BUT my second was a nightmare for 3 yrs!!!!!!!!! hated him- cried, screamed, shouted when wanted something. I thought what went wrong, because he was planed,you see, but my first was not!! He also hid my first son with thing, like toy cars!!!!! It was madnesss!
He is 5yrs now and since school he has been fine, he is much better at school-quite, kind,- sometimes I think they a talking about a differnt boy in parents evening! I have worked him out now. You stay away from him when he is tried!!!
My friend Who most have girls say it wrost for them as woman, because grils are all ways shouting at them at any age! And they get wrost before they get better?
I think all children are diffent and must be treated diffently. WE have bad days and good days , why can't kids.

maggiems · 12/03/2006 20:43

I have twin boys aged 4.5 so cant compare them to girls. However they are very different from each other. On is more placid in nature but at the same time more boisterous, the other one is more highly strung and horribly competitive.

they started school in september and I have noticed that the girls in the class love correcting all the boys when they are messy or clumsy and when they get things wrong. They seem far more particular about things and more mature. They also seem better behaved in class as none of the girls seem to make it to the red circle which is the worst place to be in

Posey · 12/03/2006 20:46

For me, dd has been loads easier than ds (except first 6 months when she was really hard work and he was a piece of cake)

GDG · 12/03/2006 20:47

Don't know as I have 3 boys - maybe there is something in it because if you tell someone you have 3 boys they say 'oh my God, that must be hard work' but I know my friends who have girls don't have the same comments.

They have easier times with the girls in the sense that they concentrate on something for longer, they might watch a film fromstart to finish whereas my boys wouldn't. THey are demanding and noisy and messy.

OTOH, I don't have girls so I can't really compare and I don't know what the 'downsides' of girls would be iyswim.

Oh regarding chatter - that's not exclusive to girls. Ds1 never shuts up and ds2 is shaping up to be just teh same!

motherinferior · 12/03/2006 20:50

I have to point out that your grandmother's comment was based solely on the experience of having one boy. Not exactly a huge statistical base to work from.

All children are bloody hard work IMO.

Twinkie1 · 12/03/2006 20:51

I think so - DD was so pliable and kind and is still a lovely child.

DS on the other hand is like a little tazmanian devil - he is only 15 months and although he is the cutest thing ever he is a brat - won;t eat anything other than 1 certain jar or sausages or somethimes fishfingers, he slaps, kicks and pinches me and breaks everything he can and then laughs!!! Only thing he does do well is sleep!!

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