What do boysâ parÂents need to know if they are expectÂing a daughÂter? Are you curiÂous to know the reaÂson behind the stereoÂtypÂiÂcal behavÂiour you have noticed recentÂly in your child?
DependÂing on the perÂspecÂtive, your answers can be simÂple, obviÂous, comÂpliÂcatÂed, nonexÂisÂtent, or severeÂly âgenÂder norÂmaÂtiveâ, sugÂgestÂing that all girls will do some things as well and all boys have cerÂtain traits.
But it has turned out that these genÂder difÂferÂences are not much sigÂnifÂiÂcant â although there is some that start when the child is in the motherâs womb and then conÂtinÂue throughÂout childhood.
AccordÂing to anatoÂmy, sexÂuÂal difÂferÂences among girls and boys can be quite obviÂous. HowÂevÂer, as far as brain develÂopÂment is conÂcerned, the difÂferÂences between the sexÂes are minimal.
By this, we mean develÂopÂment and behavÂiour are greatÂly influÂenced by difÂferÂent expeÂriÂences in life than genÂder. For your litÂtle one to attain full potenÂtial, he or she requires loads of encourÂageÂment and attenÂtion from the beginning.
In this artiÂcle, you will learn about how much and where the role of genÂder is instruÂmenÂtal in your childâs development.
- Toys Preference
Babies do not disÂcrimÂiÂnate between âboysâ and âgirlsâ playÂthings. It is backed by many studÂies (and sevÂerÂal parÂents already know) that a lot of baby boys like playÂing with dolls. So it is feaÂsiÂble to believe that boys preÂfer cars and girls preÂfer tea sets as sociÂety teachÂes them to.
Although genÂder-speÂcifÂic proÂmoÂtion along with peer presÂsure at preschool may impact your childâs taste among toys, there is sufÂfiÂcient eviÂdence that supÂports there is someÂthing innate relatÂed to prefÂerÂences for parÂticÂuÂlar playÂthings as well that begins around the first year.
In realÂiÂty, girls exposed to more than averÂage sex horÂmones levÂels in the motherâs womb, which include testosÂterone as well, showed highÂer than averÂage interÂest among trucks and cars.
Also, in a study that involved monÂkeys, it was observed that male priÂmates picked wheeled playÂthings over plush playÂthings, while female priÂmates liked both.
Now, what does it mean for human beings? It can be expectÂed from your baby girl to be a litÂtle more open comÂpared to her brothÂer regardÂing the playÂthings â genÂerÂalÂly beginÂning around kindergarten.
You can widen your baby boyâs horiÂzon for toys by proÂvidÂing him with all kinds of toys rather than optÂing for stereoÂtypÂiÂcal stuff.
- Spatial Ability
One of the reaÂsons boys outscore girls over the SATâs math porÂtion is their advanÂtage of spaÂtial abilÂiÂty or the capaÂbilÂiÂty of solvÂing probÂlems involvÂing relaÂtionÂships among objects, size, and distance.
StudÂies reveal that boys of 3â5 months age can enviÂsion how the object would appear if rotatÂed comÂpared to same-age girls who cannot.
To proÂmote spaÂtial abilÂiÂty in your girls, you can give her buildÂing blocks and play ball activÂiÂties with her. As she gets old enough, you can introÂduce her to games that conÂcenÂtrate on tarÂgetÂing things.
- Comprehending Emotions
Females have more abilÂiÂty to get in tune with peopleâs emoÂtions. After reviewÂing more than 100 studÂies, researchers have conÂcludÂed that even durÂing infanÂcy, girls tend to betÂter underÂstand othÂersâ feelÂings through facial expressions.
The results of anothÂer study revealed that baby girls rather preÂfer lookÂing at faces as comÂpared to mobiles, and the oppoÂsite is corÂrect for boys.
Although the skill of face-readÂing starts at birth, nurÂture and nature both play a role â the disÂparÂiÂty in abilÂiÂty among grown-up women and men is more noticeÂable as it occurs in younger ones.
What is the reaÂson behind this difÂferÂence? Experts believe that this is because females are instructÂed to conÂvey their feelÂings; on the othÂer hand, boys are taught to absorb their emotions.
Today all mothÂers everyÂwhere know that baby boys are not less senÂsiÂtive. You should teach your baby boy the approÂpriÂate words to express his feelÂings when you talk with him, such as, âYou are upset because you canÂnot reach the toy.â
- Physical Activity
In any playÂground, you are bound to observe more boys playÂing, jumpÂing, and runÂning. This disÂparÂiÂty in physÂiÂcal activeÂness may begin in the motherâs womb.
After reviewÂing many preÂviÂous studÂies, CanaÂdiÂan researchers have conÂcludÂed that durÂing infanÂcy, baby boys tend to be more wigÂgle worms than baby girls , such as wrigÂgling more while changÂing, getÂting more restÂless in a stroller, and also crawlÂing for longer distances.
Though, you might not observe the difÂferÂences between your baby boy and baby girl, as per sciÂenÂtists. While comÂpared to the typÂiÂcal girl, boys, on averÂage, do not move about much more, but the most enerÂgetic chilÂdren are always usuÂalÂly boys, and girls are the least energetic.
To make your chilÂdren more physÂiÂcalÂly active, involve both sexÂes in a lot of sporty playÂtimes â from playÂing chase in the playÂground to dancÂing indoors.
- Potty Training
Baby girls tend to ditch their napÂpies faster than baby boys â someÂtimes much quickÂer. Many baby girls begin potÂty trainÂing around 22â30 months, while baby boys tend to take 3 monthsâ1 years longer than baby girls.
On averÂage, girls learn to pee all alone by the age of 33 months, which is a huge mileÂstone. HowÂevÂer, the boys can take until 37 months to get there.
The main difÂferÂence between boys and girls is sitÂting still to poop in the toiÂlet for five minÂutes, which girls , on averÂage, can do till they are 3 and ÂŒ years old; howÂevÂer, boys can take roughÂly around 5 months longer to learn this skill.
If your todÂdler boy doesnât get used to toiÂlet trainÂing till latÂer, you can bring the potÂty out near his 2nd birthÂday and let him enjoy it. Who knows, this might inspire your tot to beat the statistics.
- Aggression
AccordÂing to research, boys tend to be more aggresÂsive comÂpared to girls, surÂprisÂingÂly before the age of two.
SciÂenÂtists believe that preÂnaÂtal testosÂterone plays a sigÂnifÂiÂcant role in this, and boys are playÂing subÂconÂsciousÂly at someÂthing that they are staÂtisÂtiÂcalÂly more expectÂed to do durÂing adultÂhood than girls, like getÂting involved in physÂiÂcal confrontations.
HowÂevÂer, this does not mean that girls are angels. TodÂdler girls bite, hit, and kick thrice more comÂpared with either genÂder till the time chilÂdren go to grade school as by then, the two sexÂes are socialÂized enough, so they use their words instead of their fists.
You should teach your litÂtle girls and boys their limÂits and be firm in enforcÂing the âno-hitâ rule.
- Walking
Many parÂents share the opinÂion that boys attain gross-motor mileÂstones such as sitÂting up, cruisÂing, crawlÂing, and walkÂing before girls, but some pediÂaÂtriÂcians firmÂly believe the oppoÂsite. HowÂevÂer, both groups are wrong.
It is backed by study after study that there occur no conÂsidÂerÂable difÂferÂences between girls and boys as far as the develÂopÂment of gross motor skills is concerned.
Both sexÂes usuÂalÂly begin to walk someÂtime around 9 and sixÂteen months: still, a study on parental expecÂtaÂtions notÂed that mothÂers of eleven-month-old babies conÂtinÂuÂousÂly overÂesÂtiÂmatÂed their baby boysâ physÂiÂcal abilÂiÂties and underÂesÂtiÂmatÂed their baby girlsâ.
These expecÂtaÂtions for boys might be due to their physÂiÂcal size, as boys are usuÂalÂly taller and heavÂier comÂpared to girls until around 6 months.
To proÂmoteÂwalkÂing in your infant , you can focus on buildÂing up your totâs musÂcles by makÂing him or her do much tumÂmy time durÂing their earÂly months. You should also ensure that your baby does not spend much time in a car seat, play yard, or stroller.
- Talking
TalkÂing is a mileÂstone that both boys and girls achieve conÂsisÂtentÂly at not the same time. Girls, on averÂage, begin talkÂing around a month before boys, someÂtimes around the beginÂning half of age two.
British researchers notÂed that baby girls had conÂsidÂerÂably greater vocabÂuÂlarÂies comÂpared to boys, earÂliÂest at 18 months and two years.
HowÂevÂer, experts believe that genÂder only explains 3% of disÂparÂiÂties in the verÂbal skills of todÂdlers. Still, the kidâs subÂjecÂtion to lanÂguage, along with their enviÂronÂment, accounts for not less than 50% of disparities.
The role of parÂents in attainÂing this mileÂstone can be to read and talk to their litÂtle ones more often irreÂspecÂtive of their gender.

Last but not least!
UltiÂmateÂly, we can conÂclude there are no sigÂnifÂiÂcant difÂferÂences between raisÂing boys and girls. ConÂvenÂtionÂalÂly what boys enjoy and preÂfer are also enjoyed and preÂferred by girls, plus vice versa.
Your job as a parÂent is to look for your childrenâs strengths and work on them, also recÂogÂnizÂing their flaws and helpÂing them. It is to defend them from sociÂetal presÂsure, which is to teach them the propÂer way to act and allow them to do things that make them happy.
It is also about keepÂing the enthuÂsiÂasm and exciteÂment of childÂhood alive in their hearts until they can be before the presÂsures of life dim them out.
RememÂber, you have to raise indiÂvidÂuÂals, not the genÂders. As a parÂent, your role is to approach each child difÂferÂentÂly, irreÂspecÂtive of their genÂder, because they have their charÂacÂter and posÂsess their likes, disÂlikes, strengths, and weaknesses.
There is no such thing as a perÂfect parÂent. So just be a real one. â SUE ATKINS
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