Key differences between having a boy vs a girl

[Eqei]

Just found out we’re having a girl 🙏🏽 and we already have a wonderful toddler boy..

I come from a mixed family, my husband does not. And I really want to prepare him (he’s asked too!) on what the key differences are between having boys and girls.

we’re honestly so blessed to be being getting one of each, never thought it would happen for us (we have had a real challenge with fertility and pregnancies).

would love to hear from you all on what you think are the key tips, differences and anything relevant!

I have 2 girls and 2 boys. I cannot think of a single thing that is true for both boys but neither girl - or vice versa.

They have different interests, different personalities, but there is not a single true statement that "all girls..." or "all boys..."

One of my sons loves clothes and shopping. The other doesn't. One of my daughters is mega competitive. The other isn't. One of my sons is a real snuggler. The other isn't. One of my daughters is really neat and organised. The other isn't.

My DD is a very sporty shorts: trousers kind of girl. Never liked dresses. But all her best mates are girls and as a teen seems to be straight not gay / pan etc

Like @Cindyhadayellowcar my DS is very typical boy but more sensitive than. DD

My boy was a by far easier baby than my girl. He was also a good few pounds heavier than her so whilst she was quite dainty and always in her correct age sizing he was always a few sizes ahead.

Obvious physical differences around body parts which as someone as already said makes a difference of how to clean them properly.
Growing up they are both complete opposites, any differences are personality based. Son is very much like my husband. Daughter is very much like me.

The biggest thing I would say for girls is the clothing. I often used to shop in the boys section for my daughter as she was by far for physical but girly shorts largely were short short, with no pockets. Trousers always skin tight with no pockets. T shirts always butterflies and rainbows and she liked space and dinosaurs.

@EekThreek DS used to push around a potato in the doll’s pram, not sure what says about him!

The projectile peeing thing is making me laugh out loud.
My son is a very gentle soul. Loves his football, small group of close friends (all lovely), very polite. Daughter is the feisty one, massive organiser, will try her hand at everything, has to be told to be quiet a lot (🤣), if she knows something she has to have her hand up. Friendship fallouts are dramatic, thankfully short lived. Both are brilliant.

I only have a boy, as a baby he would cry alot was a late talker and a walker. Now a 5 yr old he is a handful very stubborn, loud, accident prone, dislikes doing personal hygiene, shows no organistion says no to everything lol. I see girls his age or younger who are quite like little mummy's already very caring, like to be helpful, not as loud or jumpy as my son so to speak. I can only go off my own child im sure not all boys are like him I do know boys his age who would be considered quiet, mummy's boys, very loving and kind. Side note my son is suspected asd so perhaps not an accurate account but yea I personally struggle with the lack of empathy and aggression he would show

I found my dd easier than my ds but maybe because she was second and I was more confident as a mother.

I found my son to be very emotionally needy and just wanted to quietly cuddle all of the time.

My daughter was up and off as soon as she could walk. If she ever cuddled, it would be brief and always whilst she talked a million miles per hour.

So to summarise, I find boys to be very loving and needy and girls to be very clever and independent.
a lot of my friend have agreed with this too.

The biggest difference between my girls and my boy is that my girls used to tell me what went on at school and my boy tells me nothing really. That could be just personalities though.

As babies and toddlers they were the same.

My youngest daughter is more "boy-like" than a lot of boys. Not at all girly or precious, loves football, no friendship dramas. A lot of boys her age are quite sensitive.

However our other daughter is more of a girly girl. So gender of the child means nothing, they'll be their own person.

The biggest difference I think is how other people treat them, and expectations. People definitely expect better behaviour and manners from girls, where boys are allowed to not be so well behaved.

I've two of one, one of the other, all in their 20s now, and I think the main difference is personality not sex. My 3rd was the killer because they never bloody slept!!!! I don't agree with stereotypes but there is something about a mother-daughter relationship compared to a mother-son relationship because you just have that bit more in common. Sons love their mums though.

I actually dread the in-laws treating them differently because they are very judgey when it comes to boys/girls and gender roles whereas I like to try and instil some equality. I was also a real tomboy so it’ll be interesting to see if dd is girly or not

And yet you agreed 100% with a post saying girls were bitchy nightmares and with a DD you can have lovely mummy/DD coffee and cake trips.

I teach secondary and of course they're socialised according to the still patriarchal society we live in. But teenage girls are a thousand things before they're bitchy. They're curious and funny and motivated and anxious and idealistic and hopeful and bloody lovely usually. And all such wonderful and complex individuals.

My DD is 17 and would laugh long and hard about having a girly day with cake and coffee. Last few trips out have been to visit an archive and view some manuscripts, theatre, poetry workshop, second hand bookshop and a National Trust property to see an exhibition. Next trip is to see a historian give a talk on Tudor history. DS, on the other hand, bloody loves a trip to the hairdressers and an afternoon shopping. DH takes him!

Just enjoy getting to know who they are.

girls seem to have it harder at school imo

Eh ?

Do you want to explain where you've got this thought from ?

Not at all recognisable.

None of it.

Girl friendships are savage. Jealousy, bitchy & just terrible.

I don't recognise this from my own schooldays, nor from either of my dds' experiences .

shopping trips, girls days, coffee & cake mummy & daughter days are so cute & lovely!

My dd1 hate shopping with a passion.
She doesn't like coffee either.
I like spending time with any of my dc, but there is nothing about cake that appeals to girls anymore than boys.

Such an odd perception all round on a thread about differences.

Well I will go against the grain and say I had fairly stereotypical boy and girls. Youngest now 17 but our son was easy peasy but hard to keep up with. He was always climbing the nearest tree, stalking us on walks out of sight behind bushes, he tried play fighting with his sisters who were not having it so used to wait for his cousin to visit and they would wrestle for hours. He is now 19 and never been in any trouble at all. Just got first girlfriend this year. Never shouted at us or been rude.
Oldest daughter who is 21 was very hard work. ( later diagnosed with ADHD ) Lots of drama and noise. Could not regulate her emotions so regular meltdowns. Was self harming as a young teenager and was arrested for ship lifting.She is currently on anti depressants and doing well at Uni and we have a much better relationship now we are not living in same house! Our youngest daughter is quite anxious and shy. She has also been quite emotional and struggles with any confrontation/ disagreement. She needs us more, for reassurance and validation. My personal experience is that girls are far harder emotionally and boys physically but it is a generalisation but one that my 3 definitely modelled.

I only have two, very diffferent, girls. A friend who had three of each and who also bred a breed of working dog claimed that the boys were much more snuggly and loving when small and the girls were much more independent. That went for her children and the dogs I believe.

Personal experience / seeing my nieces go through what they go through

It’s a personal experience and personal opinion. You don’t have to agree with everything.

im glad you didn’t go through the bullying a lot of girls do go through. Not that boys don’t but they tend to deal a bit better

i Also probably should’ve said the mum/son dates will still happen (providing he wants to - same for dd) but my point was I literally only found out we’re having a girl and hadn’t thought that far ahead.

Thanks again for the helpful comments!
love the mixed perspectives and experiences 😊

As a parent of both I would say that boys are more “what you see is what you get”, I quite liked the straightforwardness of it, especially when they were younger. Never any friendship dramas, they got over things quickly. I find girls a bit more complicated and it’s difficult for even the most even tempered to totally avoid friendship dramas at some point in their lives but that might just be my kids.

As a parent of both, you need to fight for girls more..fight to keep their self esteem up, fight to keep their interests broad, fight for their right to be 'bossy' and help them navigate life so they don't have to people please.They get bombarded with messages about what girls should be.

Boys get it a little but not half as much. You need to work with them so they feel able to express emotion which they'll be told not to do (implicitly). But broadly, boys are told they can do anything by society.

People will try to tell your daughter that they look cute or like a princess. They'll be told to sit still and be demure and not climb around etc whereas "boys will be boys". It's suffocating

Oh right. Well it's just the biological stuff really... Periods when she's older etc

My boys have been exposed to all sorts but they’re into typical boy things. My youngest (12mo) especially, he loves anything with wheels. Anecdotally people say girls need less physical play (climbing, running etc) but it’s marginal and the only real difference is what’s been their legs. My boys were calm and chilled babies. Their girl cousins were the opposite and are now challenging toddlers. But that’s a personality thing not a sex thing, people on here will tell you girls are calmer, but that’s not been my experience at all.