Momfidence! - Read the Blog : Boys or Girls? Who's Harder to Raise?

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Momfidence! cheers on commonsense parenting and sighs at the rest. How to worry less, wing it more. A.k.a. parenting by the seat of my mid-rise mom jeans.

About Paula Spencer

I'm the author of Momfidence! An Oreo Never Killed Anybody and Other Secrets of Happier Parenting, and a mom of four in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (where you cannot even buy Oreos at the two groceries nearest to my home).

A rare foto in which all six Spencers face the camera! by Charles Harris

Some Kindred Blogs

Parentopia
    On mommy guilt
The Mother of All Blogs
    My fave fellow mom of four
MommaBlog in Fotos
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Parent Talk Today
    Kindred writer
Momformation
    ParentCenter
Free Range Kids
    Set them free!
Jane Austen Addict
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Diet Naked
    For inspiration
Dr. Helen
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American Poetry Alliance
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Caring Currents
    Caregiver blog to which I contribute

Boys or Girls? Who's Harder to Raise?

May 13, 2008

I know, I know. Kids are individuals and we can't make sweeping generalizations, especially -- heaven forbid -- based on gender. Nevertheless that's the tack in my piece in the upcoming June issue of Parenting: "Boys vs. Girls: Who's Harder to Raise." Read it and start arguing with me. Or start arguing now!

Comments

Dawn says...

Hi Paula,
Without having seen the June issue of Parenting yet, I've always been of the opinion that boys are tougher in the baby/preschool years (because they're generally way more active), but girls become more difficult as tweens/teens when they start thinking they're grown up. That's my theory anyway... I only have the limited experience of raising a 4-year-old boy, so I'm looking forward to your take.

Jen Singer says...

I agree with Dawn, though I have two boys, so my experience is limited to the Y chromosome. I can say that I know way more about what goes on behind the scenes of my 7-year-old niece's home that her parents will ever hear from my boys.

Sarah says...

a girl in puberty trumps any hassles with a boy.......

Toni says...

Having 4 daughters and no sons, my experience is somewhat limited. That being said, each child's personality is so unique. I have daughters on either end of the spectrum. One is as easy as can be (and she is almost 16 years old). The other has been...let's call it "challenging" to be nice...since she was a tot. (She's almost 19 years old now). The other two girls are somewhere in between.

I have friends who describe similar experiences with their sons. So, in my opinion, personality/temperament counts for a lot more than gender.

Abby says...

I loved this article. I only have experience w/ my one extremely active toddler boy, but it made me feel vindicated. And also, glad I don't have a preteen girl.

Paula says...

Kudos to Toni for pointing out what's danced over a bit in the piece, that temperament is the big X factor that counts for plenty. After all there's an X in XX and in XY!