It's a boy....feel overwhelmed

[WeGoAgain123]

Hello!

As the title states, I'm having a boy!

Before anyone thinks I'm unhappy about this I just want to put you straight that there is no gender disappointment here.

In fact I have 2 daughters, aged 11 and 10 and before the 20 weeks scan me and my partner where quietly hoping to have a boy, partially due to the big age gap and also to experiencing the other side.

Now it's not hypothetical anymore I'm feeling very overwhelmed at thr thought of being 40 and not knowing anything about baby boys!

For those that have had girls and then a boy, what did you find to be the most different? I've been warned about nappy time already 😆

There are very small differences that become large differences because of the environment they are exposed to.

I do agree with this. Things exaggerate as children age, and understand what they are seeing more, and identify themselves as eg: the girl in the advert playing with the doll, or the boy on TV skidding on his motorbike. I think in older children, yes.

Perhaps that's why I'm disagreeing so extensively. I'm referring to very young children. That aren't exposed to (and can't understand anyway) social stereotypes. Even more amplified by the fact it's lock down. So the "ooh, pretty girl, pretty dress/ big strong boy" that you can get from strangers hasn't even played a part.

They've been exposed to bugger all, and at not even 2yrs old, wouldn't be swayed by much even if they had, and their "gender typical" differences appeared about a year ago, when they definitely weren't capable of being swayed by anything. Because before that, they couldn't do much of their own volition, other than sleep, eat and poop.

I didn't realise boys develop motor skills faster. I thought girls were pretty much ahead on the charts in all areas until it levels out much later. DS is clumsy as anything. Trips over thin air!

DS is clumsy as anything. Trips over thin air! which surely proves the point that whilst there might be gross generalisations, on an individual level its personality. Hence my quieter twin who loves a book, who sleeps and eats well vs my needier twin who loves a car and who sleeps and eats far less well. The difference is their individual personality and complex play of epigenetics

which surely proves the point that whilst there might be gross generalisations, on an individual level its personality

Absolutely. And if you read my previous posts, you'll see that I'm not referring to individual specifics. It's the general traits that have been mentioned by several posters.

And to be fair, boy twin trips over thin air because he refuses to slow down. The amount of times that boy has been looking behind him, yet running at full pelt. He'll learn. Or we'll have a boy shaped hole in the wall. Whichever comes first

Perhaps that's why I'm disagreeing so extensively. I'm referring to very young children. That aren't exposed to (and can't understand anyway) social stereotypes. Even more amplified by the fact it's lock down. So the "ooh, pretty girl, pretty dress/ big strong boy" that you can get from strangers hasn't even played a part.

They are exposed from birth. According to many studies. And you have contributed. So have I. Because it's so endemic we don't notice it. Have a look at some studies, honestly!