Is it a boy thing or a second child thing?

[MummaDaisy]

A lot of people say boys are crazier but I’m wondering what everyone’s experiences are. My daughter who is 32 months has always been so so chill, as a baby, as a toddler she’s great, don’t get me wrong she tantrums at times but it’s pretty quick to get over.

my son however, he’s a completely different story. He’s 14 months now and I suppose as a baby he was similar to her but ever since he could move- he never stopped. He was rolling over constantly, he took a while to crawl and as a result was quite clingy but again as soon as he could he was crawling at a crazy speed and then literally a month later he started walking and again it wasn’t like little steps he was trying to run from the start- it’s quite scary. He’s so active doesn’t stop running around, climbing things, jumping over me.

Now when I mention this to people they say oh boys are like that and I’m thinking maybe it’s because he’s a second child and has someone to watch to learn these things like crawling, walking and talking. But I don’t know why he likes to climb things and jump over us - my daughter doesn’t really do things like this and she listened If we simply say no.

Basically I’m just wondering for those who have two children what your experiences were.

I guess also I want him to stay active and explore but sometimes he does dangerous things and I’m wondering what the best way to teach them not to do that is, I’m so out of my depth with him- my daughter would just listen to us if we said no- he laughs and continues 😬

He sounds like a normal baby to me but I had boys so maybe that says something 😂 it’s not got much better now they’re older!

Many a parent has discovered their second child to be substantially different to their first

I know one woman who was often told “if I knew you’d be like that I wouldn’t have bothered having a second “

so it’s not a boy/ girl thing

all Of us are different and the environment- a s wind child - is also different

please don’t buy into “boys are like that” - people use that to avoid proper parenting

Hahaha I mean that’s true, maybe my daughter is just not a normal baby she had my expectations that baby number two would be a breeze 😬😅😂

I do love how they have different personalities I think I’m just sooo shocked at how different they are 😂

No they’re all totally different. I have two boys; first was as you describe and second was as you described your daughter.

I believe there are some very slight statistical differences between the sexes but it’s very much an “on average” rather than the rule.

Definitely a boy thing in my experience I have 2 boys and 2 girls the girls where easier and calmer when younger (although more tantrums) and the boys where easier as teens as the girls where a nightmare

I am one of 5 girls and was dubbed the boy of the family lol. I was crazier than all the boys on the street. Jumping off buildings and creating stunts everywhere.

Oh and I am number 3. Middle child
but number 2 had the most attitude.

My first is a girl and she was so peaceful, slept well, fed well, a dream in the car. Then I had my second, a boy and what a wake-up call to parenting that was!

Like yours, as a baby, he was fine but at 4 months he crawled, constantly moving, trying to get out of the high chair, getting out of his bouncer, wanted to be walked around for 2 hours before he’d fall asleep at bedtime, this continued into toddlerhood and I was a zombie!

I somehow convinced myself I wanted a 3rd, also a boy, and would say he isn’t as chaotic as my second, I do think there is something about being the second child and having one sibling to keep up with. Being the third, maybe you split your view between both siblings so it’s a different level of engagement.

My second is now 6 and somewhat peaceful, polite, so loving and caring but does love a good jump around!!

I think they are just all different. I know someone with a very shy and quiet boy - not at all in to running about. Her second (a daughter) is a high energy drama queen!

It's a character thing.

Some children are more active than others. IME it has little to do with the sex of the child.

They're all just different! My first was bonkers, the second super chilled. Both boys.

3 boys, 1 girl. It's not a bpy v girl thing. Or even a 1st v 2nd thing. It's just different personalities and it's amazing.

I'd just say second child thing but every child is different anyway so sometimes its just who they are.
I had DS first and he was crazy (like your DS) I thought when we had DD next she would be more sedate, not a chance. She is even more crazy than her brother, esp as a toddler.
Your DS sounds like a normal toddler though

It's a personality thing, not a boy thing or a 2nd child thing.

It's a personality thing. I have 2 boys, as different from each other as chalk and cheese - neither particularly 'mad' (although eldest had no fear of the dark and would happily just wander off when we walked the dog in winter)

I'd say my second child was the easier one - slept better etc. but now they're teens the elder is a delight and the youngest is full on 13 year-old obnoxious (annoying rather than actually bad)

Both early walkers neither particularly apt to get 'into' things though so I never had to put child locks on stuff - just totally different interests

Everyone says boys are crazier
ive personally found that even when the most placid boy shows an ounce of energy everyone around declares oh boys!! Aren’t they a handful!
when there’s a girl who is particularly wild, it’s believed it’s because she personally is a bit wild / naughty but definitely isn’t an indication of what girls as a group are like energy wise.
People just gender stereotype their child from even before birth, I’m sure I read that you’re more likely to identify your boys kicks in the womb in a different way to the girls kicks.

it could be slightly influenced by being a second child, you don’t have as much time to parent, you’re more relaxed, and they have another child to copy/compete with.
But it’s more likely to be a personality thing and confirmation bias

My first boy was absolutely wild, my second boy, a dream. My third son, a lovely mix of both, my first daughter is I'm convinced an angel, my second daughter, feral. My fourth son is out of control, my fifth son chilled and happy go lucky, my third daughter is only newborn so we'll wait and see. Basically, I don't think it has anything to do with being a boy or girl. It's just who they are.

I think it's personality, not boy/girl. My DD is the same age as your DS and is like this - fearless, running around, climbing on everything, grabs, snatches, shouts, waits until I'm occupied to go off and do something she's not supposed to.

She does have an older brother to copy, which I think definitely motivated her to crawl and walk early, but his personality is very different from hers - much less gung ho and adventurous.

Definitely a personality thing. Son was first; calm, measured, an old head on young shoulders. Daughter, absolute hurtle turtle who, with no surprise to anyone, fractured and dislocated her arm falling out of a tree. Always the adventurer, horse riding, outdoor activities (until she became allergic to UV), son was the thinker, the dance and drama student (and became a professional actor, now director), both ridiculously intelligent and funny.

Maybe it’s because you’re not as careful the second time (and don’t wrap them up quite so tightly in cotton wool) because you’ve done it before, I don’t know! Both are adults now, still the same as they ever were!

Every child is different.

My first was a girl. She was always incredibly active - crawled and walked very early, climbed everything in sight, constantly into everything. I thought all children were the same.

My second was a boy. Crawled and walked much later. Happy to sit playing with toys on his own for long periods. He couldn't have been more different and to be honest I worried there was something wrong with him because he was so unlike his sister. Now that he's an adult it's obvious they just have very different personalities - both wonderful in their different ways (and both equally good at sport as it turns out).

My second child is a boy and that's not my experience at all. Quiet, docile, late to walk, still easy going as a young man. Number 3 however, (girl) mad as a box of frogs.

I was such an amazing mum. It was almost certainly my parenting that helped my DD to be so relaxed and chilled. She slept well, because I was really great. She ate well, because my cooking was really great.

I said to my husband "lets have another baby, they are much easier than people have always made out". So, when my DD was 11months old, I feel pregnant.

Apparently, it actually had nothing to do with me and my second child was the least chilled baby in the world. She was tricky from the second she was born and even now at 7, she is still really highly strung and emotional. My 9 year old is still an easy peasy breezy child. Easy going, gets on etc.

I have two girls and the second one is insane! Nursery called her a very charming rascal. Earliest walker for two generations of my family, climbs on everything and has an incredible urge to escape all the time.

My sons were both on the move from early on however, I have a younger brother and I was far more energetic than he was. I never stopped moving, really. He would sit and play with his Lego while I was dancing or doing handstands all over the place!

I'd actually never thought about this before but my brother and I have children around the same age. My exH is also a very physically active person (his family always say he is a human doing rather than a human being)! As mentioned, I am too. Our sons are now young adults and still do sports a few times a week. My brother and his wife have different interests and their children are more into those things that they are sport and physical activity.

Some nature and some nurture, I suppose but I don't think it's a girl or boy thing.

It’s just a different child thing. I have two girls but they were very different as babies & toddlers.
I think there are some differences between boys and girls but it’s not as significant as just different children having different personalities