They Say Daughters Are “Easier” than Sons

131 Comments

Delia R says:

at 3:37 am

in my experience….absolutely not…is it really much of a coincidence that i’m 27 and I started getting my grey hairs after my little girl was born?!:)
She definitely tests me and pushes my buttons anyway and anytime she can!

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:22 am
  
  Uh oh! Yeah, I’m 35 and not only is my hair getting grey, it’s evacuating like mad. Ahhhhh, the things we sacrifice for our little ones. 😉
  
  Reply
Colleen says:

at 3:52 am

I don’t have kids yet, but everyone i know tells me the complete opposite!

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:22 am
  
  I’m starting to see that.
  
  Reply
cupcake says:

at 4:19 am

I’d always heard that girls are easier to raise when they’re prepubescent and boys are easier after… at least for mothers. I don’t know how true it is, but I’ve spent the last 22 years being grateful that both my kids are boys. After all, I know from personal experience the kinds of things girls (even “good” girls, like I appeared to be) get up to. And it’s a frightening thing to imagine being the mom in that dynamic.

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:23 am
  
  If I had a daughter, what you’ve said would scare me. Ha ha! Good Girls Gone Wild? Ahhhhhhhh!
  
  Reply
Kim says:

at 4:59 am

Yes they are! Love your site…yes I’m a woman and love giggling at seeing a mans point of view on things! It’s great! But back to the question…girls are easier in the beginning, hard when they become teenagers boys are opposite. Girls tend to gravitate away from the mom once married and boys stay close.

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:25 am
  
  Thanks! Our site loves you too!
  
  It’s turning out that girls seem to be a bit of a handful once teenagedom sets in. And I’ve heard that about daughters and moms, and sons being closer with their moms.
  
  Reply
TyRounds says:

at 6:26 am

I have two boys (6 & 2) and all of my friends have had girls, while I can’t say anything about teenage girls I can say that every time our friends are over and see our two boys in full form running laps around the house they always say how “busy”our boys are. Translation: their girls are easier.

Apparently my wife is pregnant and apparently it is girl. So I guess I will let you know in a few years the true answer. All-tho, I think the biggest test with a girl will be after she turns 13.

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:29 am
  
  Yeah, seems like boys are harder at the beginning, with their full-frontal assault, but girls turn on some big time psychological warfare later.
  
  Apparently? Oh man. What kind of ultrasound did you guys get? The machine better not have had a Fischer Price toy manufacturer logo on it.
  
  Congratulations are in order, apparently? 😉
  
  Reply
amancalleddad says:

at 6:44 am

As the dad to a daughter, my two cents: bull plop. Sure, she’s cute, cuddly and prefers dad over mom most days but she can also be as docile as one of those drunken elephants that takes whole villages. My instictive fatherly skills of whittling, fire making and boob admiration are useless. But you know the worst thing? She eventually will turn into a (gulp) teenage girl. Remember teenage girls?? I. Am. Screwed.

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- jetts31 says:
  
  at 8:45 am
  
  Amen to that.
  
  Reply
- Vanessa says:
  
  at 1:06 pm
  
  Hahahahaha! That’s hilarious!
  
  Reply
- andy says:
  
  at 5:26 pm
  
  Brilliant! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!
  
  P.S. You’re not screwed because of how teenaged daughters are, you’re screwed because of how teenaged boys are.
  
  Reply
- Mav says:
  
  at 9:52 am
  
  haha just wait til those boob admiration skills turn into boob concealing skills – you’re gonna start saying things like, “go change your shirt! Or wait, here, wear my sweatshirt, there, that’s better.”
  
  Reply
DoubleDad says:

at 7:42 am

As a first-time father expecting twin girls in June, I certainly hope girls are easier to raise. Having nothing to go by, my instincts tell me I’m in deep crap.

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- andy says:
  
  at 5:35 pm
  
  Good news and bad news. I’ll start with the bad so we can end on the upside.
  
  BAD NEWS: You’re in deep crap.
  
  GOOD NEWS: You’re going to love it.
  
  Reply
Amanda says:

at 7:47 am

Sure. If you love 13 year old girl drama spewing from the mouth of your 3 year old daughter, girls are easier. Seriously, in the very controlled scientific experiment I’m running in my two kid household, my son is SO MUCH easier than my daughter – even though he would climb the very walls like a tree frog if he had sucker things on his fingers.

This is my first time to comment, but I love this blog!

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:31 am
  
  RAD! Welcome and THANK YOU!
  
  P.S. You’ve been holding out on us all. Anyone who uses a tree frogs sucker things in a comment indicates you should be commenting as much as possible. 🙂
  
  Reply
fishsqueezer says:

at 8:31 am

I have decided to end the silence. Usually I just stalk your…whatever this is…without participating, but today there is just too much to be said.

I agree with “cupcake”, and not just because she is named after a delicious confection. I’m not a parent, but I have 14 nieces and nephews and I live on the planet they call “Earth”, so…when they are little, boys have more problems with things like eating bugs, hitting other children, and painting with their poop. Little girls are delicate and cute and only occasionally mimic your foul language in public. But once they grow up a little, girls can be ridiculous on a psychological level that boys simply cannot muster, either out of total lack of interest or actually emotional simplicity. So it depends on what you mean by “difficult”. I would prefer dealing with black eyes and messy rooms over feeling utterly helpless and emotionally manipulated by a hormonal girl at the edge of sanity.

P.S. Granted, a lot of the problems girls face aren’t the parents’ fault or genetically linked to two X chromosomes, but rather stem from society’s completely warped and unrealistic expectations for women. But that doesn’t change the fact that boys are easier to handle.

P.P.S. I swear I just saw Charlie in a Crohn’s disease commercial. You’re FAMOUS! Will you sign my man-boob?

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:34 am
  
  You’ve been holding out on us!!! Amazing! Hilarious and well said. And I’m not just saying that because of our shared love of cupcakes or my soft spot for insanely rad usernames like fishsqueezer.
  
  Reply
Daddyto2 says:

at 8:45 am

I have 1 of each and I can tell you uneqivically that girls are harder. With Girls it’s all about drama. Also, my daughter tends to spend her time rationalizing things and negotiating which my son just seems to accept things as the way they are and move on.

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:35 am
  
  If you read through all of the comments, you’ll see you’re in the vast majority. Girls are harder. I just think of how I was as a kid and wonder what the HELL girls could do that was worse than that!?! But the votes are in, I can’t argue.
  
  Reply
Ross says:

at 8:46 am

As a dad with two daughters (7/5) in a sea of friends with sons (and being raised with only a brother), daughters are so much worse. The drama with girls is off the chart, the fighting is more yelling than hitting, and don’t get me started on the morning hair routine (brush, comb, ponytails, braids, pigtails, etc.)

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:37 am
  
  I guess I would rather get hit in the nethers with a whiffleball bat (boys) than be so traumatized as to question whether I want to be alive the next day (girls). Ha ha!
  
  Reply
Sean S says:

at 8:46 am

I have two girls so it’s all I know. From what I have seen with our friends who have boys I would say yes, for sure, girls are easier.

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:39 am
  
  It seems like people would agree with you for the younger years, but then… HELLO TEENAGE YEARS! The comments say it’s the other way around. 😉
  
  Reply
jetts31 says:

at 8:47 am

I’m not sure there is an easier one or harder one to raise. Each gender has their own unique ability to test our patience, exhaust us, question our sanity, deplete our bank accounts, and make us forget about all of that when they smile at us and tell us “I love you Daddy”.

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:40 am
  
  Too true. There’s no question that any child of ours possesses the ability to make our hearts and spirits after they’ve made us lose our minds.
  
  Reply
Katie says:

at 8:51 am

I have heard the EXACT opposite of that. When I tell people I have two boys, they’re all, “Ohhhhhhhhhhh, they’re so much easier than girls.” Then I tell them how many times I took my younger son to the ER in a one-week period (twice) before he was 2 years old due to his love of diving headfirst off the furniture, and then while I’m talking I have to cut our conversation short because my 5-year-old has taken off running.

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:42 am
  
  Apparently what you’ve heard is worth listening too. A lot of other people are saying the opposite of this post’s title. Girls are rough stuff apparently.
  
  P.S. Head-first furniture diving is fun! That’s the problem. At least it is for boys, I can personally attest.
  
  Reply
Nicole P says:

at 8:55 am

I’ve only raised boys, but I’ve always been told that girls are easier to raise when they are younger and more difficult than boys to raise when they are older. So, I think it’s a blessing when my kids are acting like a bunch of hellions. Maybe I’m hoping they are getting it out of their systems before teenage-hood?

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Brimag says:

at 8:55 am

I have one of each. Boy is 5, girl is 2 1/2. So far no ER visits for the girl (boy had two by this age). She has attitude, though. Not looking forward to the teenage years.

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Krista from The Playdate Crashers says:

at 9:09 am

Everyone has told me that girls are easier at first but once the drama starts, be it at 3 or 13, boys are WAY easier. Being married to a youth minister and spending lots of time with teenagers, I totally believe that.

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Kari says:

at 9:09 am

I have an almost 2yr old son and a 3 week old daughter.. as of right now, she has been much easier then he was as a newborn haha. He cried ALL.THE.TIME and she is very chill and only cries when hungry/wet.

I’ve heard that boys have bad “terrible two’s” but girls are worse around the age of 3-4 and have more an attitude.

I guess I will have to wait and find out 🙂

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- andy says:
  
  at 12:28 pm
  
  Tick tock tick tock. Time always tells. 😉
  
  Reply
MitziW says:

at 9:11 am

In our case, NO, girls are not easier! Our girls are risk-takers, strong-willed, and very active. They are constantly getting cuts and bruises. Like Delia R., I have gone almost all gray since my girls were born! I’ve heard that girls are harder for Mom and boys are harder for Dads. That whole Oedipus thing, I guess.

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- andy says:
  
  at 12:29 pm
  
  Whoa! Oedipus is an interesting way to look at it. That concept always weirded me out.
  
  Reply
Brandy says:

at 9:11 am

Wow really? I am always told boys are easier. Less drama…more punching. I can take punching over drama any day.

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- andy says:
  
  at 12:29 pm
  
  Agreed. I’m starting to see the light.
  
  Reply
- kim says:
  
  at 2:15 am
  
  I have 3 girls, 7, 6, and 2, and there is a lot of drama AND a lot of punching (and whacking, and pinching, and screaming)
  
  Reply
Christina says:

at 9:13 am

Hi guys, I love your site!

I have two teenage boys and now we have been blessed with our daughter after all these years. The boys are nearly 15 and nearly 14. The girlie is two and she is teaching us what parenting is all about. I would like to meet whoever said that girls are easier than boys and maybe wash their mouth out with soap or at least give them a timeout on the stairs.

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- andy says:
  
  at 12:30 pm
  
  I think you’re right. I’ve been lied to this long time. Soap and stairs seem fair. 😉
  
  Reply
Chris Routly (Daddy Doctrines) says:

at 9:52 am

It’s usually been my experience that someone’s opinion on which is “easier” is largely dependent on their agenda at the moment or based solely on repeating old wive’s tales or personal anecdotes.

I am an at-home dad for two young boys, and certainly there are times it makes it easier that we all have penises (penii?). I’m also pretty sure they will hate me to some degree when they are teenagers but still adore their mom, and I suppose if we had girls the opposite might be true, but that’s not because one is easier it’s because having teenagers is tough.

Anyhow, I don’t get why it matters. In general, each has their “easier” elements, each has their particular challenges, and what is easy for one parent is a challenge for the other in the very same family, and vice-versa. Neither one is “easier”.

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- andy says:
  
  at 12:33 pm
  
  Freddie Mercury said nothing really matters. I don’t know why that’s relevant, but it’s what popped into my head. Ha ha!
  
  Some of us just like to talk about worthless stuff and HowToBeADad.com is a kind of Headquarters for it.
  
  Reply
Shain says:

at 9:54 am

I’m mum to a boy of 4 and everyone has always told me that boys are easier… My antenatal class got 3 boys and 2 girls, and OMG, the boys are so much more straightforward. What you see is what you get. They wear their hearts on their sleeves, but there’s none of the power-games and manipulation that the girls show! The boys are affectionate, pretty well-behaved and lovely, and most love books and writing. The girls are a different species! I’m not looking forward to having a teenage boy (have you read a book called Zagazoo”?), but it’s less scary than a teenage girl…

My son is very physical, eats masses and needs lots of sleep, but is so caring and gentle. It helps to think of him as an upright puppy…

Oh, and an old man said to me when I said I had given birth to a son: “If you have a boy, you only have to worry about one boy. If you have a girl, you have to worry about *all* of them”!

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- andy says:
  
  at 12:34 pm
  
  “If you have a boy, you only have to worry about one boy. If you have a girl, you have to worry about *all* of themâ€ YEEEESSSSS!!! I don’t know if I could take being a parent to a daughter that was “coming of age.” ARG!!!
  
  Reply
Eowyn says:

at 10:00 am

Ummm… I’m pretty sure It depends on the kid and not the gender. They all suck you dry.

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- andy says:
  
  at 10:44 am
  
  LOL! TRUTH â†‘
  
  Reply
Kim says:

at 10:00 am

After raising two boys, I thought raising a daughter would be cake. My daughter is definitely not as easy as the boys were at her age. They’re 7, 5, an 2. She’s not only the youngest but the only girl so she has to keep up with the boys. She’s just insane in the membrane imo. But I think it all depends on the kid and how much the parents who say that raising daughters or sons are easier are lying.

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Dawn Elwell says:

at 10:05 am

I had 3 girls and 1 boy. Two girls came first, then the boy, then another girl.
BOYS ARE EASIER THAN GIRLS!
I make that statement at 43 and as a grandmother.
Girls can be a bit easier in the years between 0-8. But, that’s only if a parent realizes that a girl’s brain operates on a much larger scale than a boy’s does. I’m not saying girls are smarter. Now, what I am saying is that a little girl’s brain works to help her learn to problem solve and be heavy into preventive response to the world around her. This is a direct trait of the natural nuturing instincts girls are born with. This has a tendency to make a little girl’s mind running at mach 10 at all times. In short, they are born with the ability to plan, scheme, problem solve, conive and manipulate. Those traits and skills start getting honed from the moment they come into this world. There’s scads of fascinating research articles about it, too.
Boys on the other hand, have a pretty straightforwardness in the way their brains work. They are highly predictable once you get a feel for their individual personalities. A boy’s brain doesn’t work the way a girl’s does and there’s really no urges to learn to plan, scheme or otherwise manipluate in the average boy’s subconsciousness.
Note I said in the AVERAGE boy’s. There are exceptions. Again, scads of fascinating research out there.
(And yeah, due to a medical disability that sidelined me at home permanently, I have way too much time on my hands, so I read.)
It is important to note that in both sexes, it is vital to promote healthy emotional and mental growth. I’ve come to the conclusion in my older, grumpier years that in order to do this, you have to toss out all the preconcieved notions about gender and the double standards that go with them. You’ve got to learn to teach both sexes to be comfortable stepping into any role that is needed of them later on in life. Example: Young man needs to step up and take over the mom role? He’s got it covered. Young woman needs to step up and become the head of the household? No problem, she’s got it covered. You as a parent need to instill in your kids how to adapt and overcome. You cannot do that if you lay a foundation of “No, boys don’t do that” or “Girls can’t do that” when they are young.
That concept is a bit harder to teach to little boys, but little girls get it because they are hard wired to be adaptable like that.
Girls will keep you hopping to stay one step ahead of them. Boys will be predictable to the point you can give your partner an elbow nudge and go “OMG! Watch what happens! You’re going to die laughing!”.
Above all, listen to your gut about what to do in any given situation with your kids. It takes no thought whatsoever to react. But, it is the hallmark of your intelligence and character if you take the time required to RESPOND, instead of just REACT.
ME

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- Drakegal says:
  
  at 10:10 am
  
  Fantastic! I too have spent way too much time reading research articles. Bronwyn Davies does some intriguing work about gender roles and expectations. She worked with preschoolers. By four, children have been paying attention enough to know that for some reason there are things boys can’t do and girls can’t do. They don’t know the whys but they are aware that there are “rules” to the gender game. This means by four we are already teaching girls to be this way (dramatic). Time to teach something else!
  
  Reply
Margaret says:

at 10:21 am

Interesting. Everyone who has offered an opinion to me has told me boys are easier (so convenient, as I have a boy!). I think it’s less about gender and more about temperment. I was an easygoing kid, and according to my parents, I was not a difficult teen. For the record, my older sister had been bailed out of jail twice by her 15th birthday, so their opinion of “difficult” may be somewhat skewed.

So far, my son has been about as easy as a baby can be, but I suspect he’ll give me trouble soon enough – he just started walking two weeks ago and we’ve already had our first visit to the pediatric ophthamologist with a black eye.

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Jon says:

at 10:38 am

We currently have a 3 year old boy and a 6 month old girl. He had trouble with ears and was a dramatic teether. She has no issues with ears and smiles the whole time she has been teething and popping two teeth. He did take to baby food and sleeping all night faster so far.

So, it is early in the game for me to make a decision, but so far it she has been a little better in temperament, but not by a lot.

Check back in a year and I can update this.

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Cathy says:

at 10:53 am

I think boys are harder when they are little and running wildly all over the place, but girls are harder during adolescence. I grew up in a family with 2 girls, and I don’t even want to think about what my parents went through when we were in high school!

Now I have 2 boys, and they’re much harder to ‘control’ than my 2 nieces, who will sit and color or play dolls for hours on end. But I think the tables will be turned in about 10 years. It’s just a guess on my part, but still!

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Jaclyn says:

at 10:56 am

With looking at how my sister and I were and how my fiance and his brother were, I’d say girls just lie a lot more. Their parent’s don’t necessarily know what they get up to because we know how to get around the rules. So maybe that makes it easier for parents? But worse for everyone else!

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newmama says:

at 12:05 pm

If by “easier” you mean less punching and farting and poop-focused banter, then yes, girls are easier.

If by “easier” you mean less crying, drama and money spent on clothing, shoes, hair accessories, assorted girlie-hygiene things, toys, toy hair accessories…then boys are easier.

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Fawn says:

at 12:08 pm

I have one of each and neither of them are easier than the other. 🙂 Just sayin’. As babies/toddlers under the age of 5, (my son is 3 years older than my daughter), I’d say that she was more easy going.

I think it’s an individual thing not male/female thing.

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SenorBob says:

at 12:19 pm

Everyone I know who has both has told me girls are MUCH harder than boys.

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Scooter says:

at 12:28 pm

I have two girls and I promise they can be just as much trouble as boys. I have had trips to the ER, they are messy, smelly and can destroy anything they touch within 5 seconds flat. In fact more trouble than boys because they can show up pregnant one day and make me a grandma before I am 45 (my biggest fear with having girls).

Also, am I going crazy or did I see Charlie in a commercial the other day? Like for Crohn’s disease medication or something. My husband thought I was cheating on him because I was like “Oh my god! That is Charlie!” and he was like “Who the *bleep* is Charlie?!?”

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- charlie says:
  
  at 12:31 pm
  
  You’re totally insane. But, yes. That was me.
  
  Reply
Adrienne says:

at 12:42 pm

Boys are so much easier in so many ways. Easier to potty train, easier through puberty, easier to dress as a toddler, just plain EASIER!

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Stephanie K. says:

at 12:49 pm

I’m not sure…Braelyn is all over the place and runs around like she’s queen. She has her temper tantrums and she also has her awesome let’s-help-mommy-and-daddy qualities. Then there’s Liam who is learning to crawl and is such a laid back little dude…unless he’s teething…sooooo I dunno. But they’re only 2 years old and 9 months old right now…we’ll see…

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Annie says:

at 1:01 pm

I am not really sure about this one. My daughter is a tom boy in most respects. She enjoys girls stuff like tutu’s and princesses but she also likes dirt, bugs, rocks, and trains. I think the most difficult part about having a girl is that she is dramatic. As someone who is not emotional or dramatic that has been difficult for me to understand. At times I struggle to recognize when I should tell her to shake it off and when she really just needs a hug because her response is the same about everything. The worst part is the SCREAMING. I have lost enough hearing, but I doubt my ears will survive her need to scream for every emotion. So in the end I am not sure about this one, but as a single mom I am thankful I have a girl. I have found that being the same sex parent is helpful in many ways. I think this is a 50/50 kind of thing. 50% personality and 50% gender.

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Jill says:

at 1:06 pm

Everyone I know with both says that boys are MUCH easier. Sure they are full of bumps and bruises, but they’re so blunt and on the surface. I have a little boy and he’s a breeze. Of course he’s only 2. My sister is about to have one of each. Guess we’ll find out soon which is easier for her!

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Hannah says:

at 6:35 pm

We have just our almost-11-month-old boy, and as rambunctious as he is, I would absolutely never want a girl in his place. I’ve babysat more than my share of kids through my high school and college years, and I would much rather have a houseful of boys than girls. Maybe girls are easier in the early years, but when I think of adolescence … shudder. There is no way I’d sign up for all that girl drama (and no, I wasn’t that sort of teenager myself :~)).

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Josee says:

at 6:41 pm

I have 3 girls so I can’t say that they can be easier than boys as I cannot compare the two. But what I can say is that I’m not looking forward to the teenage years and the drama that will most likely come with it.

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Gale says:

at 6:48 pm

Before two the only difference I can tell is that boys are harder to clean a messy diaper with (having changed both at church).

I only have boys so I can’t really say, but I’m gonna anyways. I’ve heard people who have raised both say that their daughters were easier early on and their boys were easier later. I never remember myself breaking as much stuff as they do (but then there was just one of me).

My son says that the boys in his class get in trouble more than the girls…and when I was teaching I will say that teaching girls were definitely easier. I had one class that was all girls except for one boy (because football was at that time…this is Texas). It was a dream. I was able to give them a lot more freedom because they didn’t take advantage of it. Maybe it was just that set of girls…but when I was subbing I noticed having more trouble with boys generally too. Girls would talk…but I never caught a girl throwing a spit wad (caught several boys doing that).

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Gale says:

at 6:51 pm

PS: But on the other hand I am so happy not to have to mess with putting up their hair in the morning. Just comb and go.

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Kippie says:

at 10:46 pm

My 3-year-old daughter is all about Drama and Feelings. Lots of Feelings. My 1-year-old son is happy as long as he is holding a hammer. We’ll see what he’s like a few years.

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- andy says:
  
  at 2:06 pm
  
  LMHO!!! (laughing my hammer off)
  
  Reply
Jujuba says:

at 6:19 am

I was the only girl in my family, and my parents used to say that my brothers were far easier than me.
I was terrible. Feared nothing. Knew no limits. I became some kind of a legend in the nun school where I studied from pre-school till high school.
Many years later, still people would stop me to ask “Are you &%â‚¬%& âˆ«â€¡Â¬Âº, from the NCSA nun school?”
Yeap. that was me.

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DC3 says:

at 8:20 am

My opinion (and this is just the oldest of 9 siblings, with one 15 month old son), is that girls are probably easier until puberty. Then you’ve got raging hormones to deal with on both sides, and the boys just seem to have it more under control. I suppose you could say -girls- are easier than boys, but -young men- are certainly easier than -young women-.

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Alison at Mommy is a Power Ranger says:

at 9:35 am

I have 2 boys (4 and 15 months) and a girl (3). She is such a drama queen. She cries about boo-boos at least 10 times a day, and a boo-boo can simply mean that she hit her arm against the mattress. She also gets incredibly jealous if you pay attention to anyone but her, or if her brothers are too close to her, etc. My boys are so much easier. I will say, though, that if I have to go out to a store or dinner, my daughter is the one to take because she is an angel in public. The boys are crazy in pubic and I can’t take them anywhere.

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Jen says:

at 9:41 am

I’m the mom of a 4-year-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, which I guess makes them twins ~ although you would never know it. My daughter was potty trained by 2.5 years, she sleeps the entire night in her room, makes her bed, clears the table, picks out her own clothes, and will play/draw/read/paint quietly for hours, if she could. My son? Um, none of the above. Where she will sit and talk to anyone and everyone about her feelings (on any topic), he is more to-the-point in the “School was good. I have to poo.” kind of way. And he will ride his bike/play catch/run/dance/etc. loudly for hours, if he could. She’s mellow, he stresses. She is a spaz, his motor skills are through the roof.
Where they are just like twins is in the way they love ~ I’ve never witnessed two bigger hearts ~ and in their goofiness/silliness.
So, which one is easier? I’m not sure I have an answer. I suppose if I were lazy (as I sometimes am), my daughter is the easier one as she doesn’t need an action-packed day to be happy. If I were mentally drained (as I sometimes am), my son is the easier one because we can simply ride bikes.
Every single day, they are teaching me something new. One is easier one day, the other is the next. Overall, I think my daughter is “easier” now, if I had to pick just one, but I see that changing when she’s a teen. Who knows.
Easy or not, I’m still tired as hell at the end of the day… and blessed. (Great blog, btw. Much appreciated!)

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Mav says:

at 9:43 am

I raised a girl, and a boy -15 years apart, I’m the 2nd oldest – and I have 10 siblings 5 brothers, 5 sisters. I have also taught both pre-school and high school. Here’s my opinion: The girls were easier as little kids, then they become possessed or something. They hit 15 and you have to worry about a whole mess of things you never thought your sweet little angel poo could ever get into. The fighting is worse, and they really know how to manipulate. The boys, are dirtier and rougher when they are little and you worry about broken bones and broken windows, but were easier after they got past the “don’t break your neck” phase. I would much rather deal with a teenage boy than a girl. That’s my 2 cents.

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Drakegal says:

at 9:59 am

Seriously? I get so confused on the girls are harder debate. If drama, rationalizations, and passive-aggressive crap are tolerated (or worse yet, encouraged), the sex of your child won’t matter. In addition to being a parent, I’m a middle school teacher. Believe it or not I chose to work with that age group. They have taught me that kids will behave in exactly the way you expect them to. If you expect that there will be low drama and problem-solving…they can do it!

Translation: All of you who are expecting girls or have little girls….THERE IS HOPE!!!

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Jessie says:

at 10:04 am

I pee’d my pants in reading all the commentary. I’m mom to a set of 3year old boy/girl twins. Seeing as we’re raising them the same way- at the exact same time (feels almost like an experiment) we’re noting the dramatic differences between the two. My son is more cautious, sweet, but he has his outbursts of pinching and running around like a maniac, he’s extremely bright and has an amazing ear for music (teaching himself the drums). My family is Latino and he’s the only baby boy among three 5 4 women in our family and 3 best girlfriends. The aunts treat him like a little king. He enjoys that but he’s never loud about it or obnoxious. There’s nothing underhanded about him. He does whine a lot.

SHE is a completely different story. She is clever in the ways her brother is not. She takes stuff way from him and tries to boss him around just to see what he’ll do or so he’ll pay attention to her. She’s also a risk taker and is ready to defend herself (or her brother) when she feels it necessary (I’ve seen her throw boys on the floor and scream “don’t you push me”)- I typically have to step in and give my “I’m sorry” to the kid and the parent – she will often refuse to apologize because she was just defending herself. What has become most obvious is that she’s realized that she can use her feminine side to rule the house (minus me – she knows I’m the original). Batting her eyelashes, saying please really nice, and being really cute and funny.

I don’t even want to know what happens at 13. My poor husband is going to be a wreck.

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Head Ant says:

at 11:05 am

My daughter is four and is so much more difficult to handle than her five-year-old brother (5).

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Nightram says:

at 5:22 pm

Long time reader first time commenter.
If our cul-de-sac is any indication of how the world works, it appears that boys are easier. We have four girls and seven boys between four houses, and it always appears that the girls have more drama, act brattier, have “princessy” attitudes, have more exclusive play (I won’t play with you because you’re a BOY), and more fits/breakdowns. The boys seem easy-going, play relatively well together, and seem to get their energy out via sports and good ol’ wrasslin’ (or general rough-housing for other regions). All of the children in the example are under ten as well.

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Rabbit chaser says:

at 5:32 pm

First time father with a nine weeks girl, who already has an attitude. Either she lives it out now, or she’s gonna give us a run for our money. But, awwwww she’s so cute with that attitude – at least for now.

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Christina says:

at 8:18 pm

Being mom to a 2.5 year boy and a 1.5 week girl, I’m far from expert…

However, my experience as a girl (a good girl) and oldest of 5 (2 girls, 3 boys), boys are harder physically (chasing, bandaging, wrestling, “ouch my boob”). Like others have said, girls take the cake in psychological warfare. Screw waterboarding. Put a terrorist in a room with a girl and they’d crack in minutes. And when puberty sets in? You think the “monthly” is hard enough with wives, imagine what its like with girls who still have no clue how to handle it! That’s when you get rid of the guns in the house!

As to closeness, where my brothers spend more time at my parents house than I do, now that I’m a mom, I rely quite heavily on mommy wisdom…I think motherhood draws mother and daughter closer and really solidifies the bond. I think its kinda shaky prior to that. There’s a reason I always only wanted ONE girl.

Now my son…I know I’m going to go through “No, mom” when it comes to kisses (oh wait…already there). I know there’s gonna be “I hate you” in the future. But in my experience with boys, they tend to be affectionate longer even if it is sporadic.

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Fran says:

at 12:13 am

This hasn’t been the case for me. I have a boy and a girl and my girl is definitely a bigger handful. The people who say girls are easier are probably thinking boys are more active and have more energy to burn, but even in that regard my daughter is more likely to run around and make trouble than my son is. I think the only absolute with children is that each one will be different. 🙂

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Emily says:

at 7:23 am

Every single person I know who has a boy and a girl says the exact opposite–boys are the rambunctious, nonstop crazy ones, but girls are moody, pissy, whiny, attitude-y drama queens. Boys calm down as they get older, but apparently girls just get worse. I have three boys and I’m cool with that, lol

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Loren Helgeson says:

at 8:44 am

Well, I grew up with one sister. And, to be honest, I was the brat between us. My sister? Not so much. More like the complete opposite.

So, I’ll back up the title of this post, speaking from personal experience. 😀

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- andy says:
  
  at 2:01 pm
  
  I think you’re in the minority here, man. But I was too. I was a devil. 😉
  
  Reply
  - Loren Helgeson says:
    
    at 2:08 pm
    
    Well, then, that makes me even more qualified to answer to question posed in this article. 😉
    
    Reply
Crissi Edelen says:

at 9:47 am

I have a 15 year old son and a 13 year old daughter. We found out we were expecting again a little over a year ago. We prayed for another boy. We love our little princess, but she is a moody, huffy, eye rolling, back talking little drama queen and our son so much easier. God must have known we could only handle one little girl because he answered our prayers with a baby boy.

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Shirley says:

at 2:49 pm

OK. I realize I’m getting to this late in the game. Just have to weigh in though. Girls harder by a factor of 9,000. If there is such a thing. I failed algebra. My daughter has been the hardest person I KNOW to deal with since the day she drew breath. I would lay in front of a train for her, (and have often wanted to do just that) but she’s one tough woman. When her baby brother was born she was 3 1/2. She said, and I quote, “Why did WE have another baby? Wasn’t I enough for you? Who asked ME if we needed another baby?” Then one day she said, “You know that soft spot on his head? If I crashed a rock on it, would it kill him?” Yeah. 3 and 1/2. Then when he was four and she seven she stopped by the bathroom door and saw her brother peeing. She said to my poor husband who just happened to be passing by, “Daddy. Can you do anything else with your penis besides peeing?” hahahaha.(me laughing maliciously.) I was downstairs listening for his answer. He timidly replied, “Like what sweetie?” She said, “Oh, I don’t know. Like picking up pencils or something??” He said,”No, just the peeing. That’s all” And she said, “Oh. then forget it.” Take that Sigmund Freud and your penis envy. 🙂 Yeah, girls. Definitely harder. And worth it.

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- andy says:
  
  at 3:24 pm
  
  Case closed. I shut my mouth, except to say “OMFG!!!” first before doing so. Girls are harder, I’ll go with that. 😉
  
  Reply
Chelsea says:

at 7:25 pm

I wonder if everyone thinks girls are “harder” because we expect them to be sugar and spice? So when they say/do things that seem, well, violent or brash…I mean, it would seem we are more forgiving of our boys for being smart asses. What do I know…honestly, I have a 4 m/o son. Just feeling a little beat up on, as a girl. 🙂

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- andy says:
  
  at 2:28 am
  
  I had the very same thought. Hmmmmmm. It’s a deep philosophical question that is completely beyond me, but you’ve got my vote.
  
  Reply
Teresa says:

at 10:19 pm

I come from a family of nine girls, no boys (my mom claims perfection). So, I can’t compare there.

I have five little ones. Our second is our boy and the rest are girls. From our experience, our son is the easiest. Physically he’s the most challenging. It’s difficult to get him to not beat his sisters up (he likes to rough house). But other than that, he’s really easy. If I need anything, I can just play the helpless female role and ask him to use his big muscles and empty the garbage or whatever it is I need, and he’ll flex his muscles a few times and then come and help me (he just turned five).

Our 2nd daughter is the most challenging (3 yrs old). She already has my husband planning his future camping trips for when we’re dealing with PMS. She reminds me of a cat…with a desire for world domination.

So, my vote is girls are harder. But our other daughter isn’t much more difficult than our son. (the remaining two daughters are only 3 months and 19 months, so it’s hard to say. right now they are pretty easy going).

BTW, love your site! First time being here, and you’ve had me laughing out loud.

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Christie says:

at 9:20 am

I have 1 of each and they’re older (girl 13, boy 10). The general consensus has proved true in my house.

As babies through toddler years my daughter was much more laid back and easier to potty train. My son was high energy and clingy and after spending time on the potty (with no results) immediately went and peed on my sofa!

At some time after that though the drama switch was turned on in my daughter and my son became more steady on his feet (less injuries). And then there is the saying… With a son you only have 1 boy to worry about, with a daughter you have to worry about ALL the boys!!

Keep in mind this is a mom’s POV and my husband just spent the past half hour as a punching bag!! LOL Daddies are for hitting and Mommies are for hugging!!

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Jacquie says:

at 7:07 pm

I was raised with one (twin) sister. My husband was raised with one (two years younger) brother. I would just like to say, whatever trouble either of us were or weren’t growing up, I’m the one who voluntarily talks to both of my parents more than once a month, communicates with both families, and makes sure everyone gets a christmas gift (his family is perfectly nice, he just doesn’t think to talk to them, or communicate about flight arrival times before the evening of…). Just saying- When we have kids, I want girls so that when they’re grown up and out of the house I have more than a vague memory of having children.

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matguy says:

at 9:53 pm

Blatantly stealing this from I don’t remember where:

Boys will break your stuff, girls will break your heart.

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- Andy says:
  
  at 12:15 pm
  
  So true. Too bad there’s no broken heart insurance.
  
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Roni says:

at 8:58 pm

I’ve been told by a father of three sons, ” your daughter was ment to be born a boy!” According to him, my princes had his “rough and tough” boys ready for a nap. She runs circles around most of the boys her age when we venture out to our local park. I don’t think girls are easier, I think it all depends on the girl. Mine is full spunk and despite being completely exhausted trying to keep up, I wouldn’t trade it for anything!

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Charli says:

at 6:32 am

I have a 19 month old daughter and 8 week old twin boys, I have 4 nephews and 1 niece, those girls run circles around the boys literately and figuratively. They also have bigger melt downs, very dramatic. On the other hand the girls are little cuddle monsters and seem more inclined to want kisses, hugs, and want “dance parties”. All that said, the boys for me are easier.

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Michelle Bird says:

at 1:24 pm

My son is/has been WAY easier to raise than my daughter. No hormonal rants, more cuddly, less independant at a young age, actually wats to spend time with his mum!
I love my daughter to bits, but she is the definition of hte nursery rhyme

there was a little girl, who had a little curl
right in teh middle of her forhead (fo’ed)
when she was good she was very very good
when she was bad she was horrid

Her moods change at the drop of a hat and she wants to be trated as older.
My son is content in his own skin, happ to be 11 and be treated like an 11 year old.

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- Christie says:
  
  at 2:02 pm
  
  My Grannie ALWAYS recited that rhyme to me! (I even have curly hair!!) LOL
  It sounds like your children are like my children. I love my daughter, but want to ring her neck most of the time! I can’t count the times I have told her “You are not grown!!” My son goes through life content to be 10. The worst thing about him is his annoying habit of tossing his football up and catching it… CONTINUOUSLY!!
  
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ArmyWife says:

at 7:55 pm

I have a son and a daughter (almost 4 and 2 1/2, respectively). As of right now, I’d trade in my son way before I’d trade in my daughter. My husband has been deployed for over 9 months, and my son has been way more dramatic, moody, violent, angry, belligerent, stubborn, and downright mean, than my daughter has. We call my daughter Darma the Drama Queen (her name isn’t Darma, btw), and she lives up to it – at 2 1/2, she’s already picky about what she wears, about having her hair done, nails painted, etc… and is already very vocal (vocabulary/verbal skills of a 3-4 year old) and knows just how to push her brother’s buttons and make him upset. But she is just easier. She minds better, she is way more mellow, and is so much more loving than my son. When they get into trouble together, it’s almost always him instigating. When one is gone and the other is home, if it’s him, he’s constantly into *and destroying) everything, if it’s her, she’s content playing quietly, ‘reading’ a book, playing with dolls, etc…

I am NOT looking forward to the drama that will come in her teen years, but as of right now, she is so much easier!

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- Andy says:
  
  at 10:48 am
  
  It seems to be the consensus. Girls are easier AT FIRST, then it’s very much the other way around for the teens. Good luck!
  
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ThatOtherGal says:

at 7:26 am

Honestly until just the other day I would have said, “well, I will have to wait to have a boy and find out then”…(my current status is a 6 yr old step daughter and a wee baby girl)I’m pretty sure that very adorable (not sarcastic – she’s hilarious and super cute!) step daughter just started being hormonal. I’m pretty used to the drama and exponential over-reaction to minor injuries but the crazy emotion that she is expressing now is truly something to behold. It’s about as bi-polar as it gets. Crazy-happy-manic one minute and crazy-hysterical-crying the next, all because me getting a pan out for her morning oatmeal made her think I was putting raisins in her breakfast.
Lions and tigers and little girls – OH MY!!

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- Andy says:
  
  at 7:04 pm
  
  “Oh my” is right apparently! Ha ha! Seems like the emotional nature of girls tends to be the rougher of the two genders when the whole raising process is taken into account. Though I have to say, if girls/women weren’t generally as feeling and emotional as they are… well, I think that would be sad.
  
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Sarah Elisabeth says:

at 6:34 pm

I’m not a parent, but I’ve spent every weekday for the past ten months taking care of my sister’s two kids (plus babysitting and nursery experience). I know it’s not quite the same, but I have noticed some things.
My nephew has a TEMPER. He gets SO mad, and he’s only ten months old. My niece, on the other hand, is already sneaky and a bit of a drama queen, especially when she’s tired.
Honestly, there are ups and downs to both, but tell me this: Would you rather watch your kids pound each other into the pavement or cry because they can’t find the right color lipstick? I can’t even decide…

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- Andy says:
  
  at 7:06 pm
  
  I honestly can’t either! Ha ha! Thanks for writing in. And with such a great comment! 😉
  
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Jenn says:

at 5:09 pm

I just had to comment on this one. I have 3 boys and 1 girl. For the longest time, I felt that she was definitely easier to deal with, make happy, etc. She potty trained herself while the boys all still wet the bed.

However, she just turned 9. Somewhere between 8 and 9 she became a stew of emotions. She can go from being the happiest girl to crying in 3 seconds flat and back to happy again just as fast. If she doesn’t get her way, she pouts horribly, to the point of me saying no is like asking for a sulky girl.

I think that it really depends on the situation because my 10 yr old boy has Asperger’s and he is as bad to deal with emotionally as my girl, but I know other mothers with boys his age that don’t have half the issues I do.

Overall though, I think girls are easier until it comes to that point when they hit the emotional rollercoaster!

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Whitney says:

at 7:08 pm

I would definitely have to say that boys are easier than girls. Maybe I’m saying this because I have a boy; but mostly I’m saying it because I have an older sister. Boys may be messier and a little on the immature side, but they don’t PMS.

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- Christie says:
  
  at 7:44 pm
  
  I would laugh, but it’s true. As much of a drama queen my daughter is normally , when she PMS’s, she’s an emotional time bomb!
  
  Reply
  - Andy says:
    
    at 2:07 am
    
    After this post, and I know my wife will hate me for saying it, I’M SO GLAD WE HAVE ALL BOYS!!! I’ll laugh for you. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! <-insane laughter
    
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hannah says:

at 11:28 pm

Well I can honestly say, with 5 brothers and 4 sisters, 8 nephews, and 4 neices. We are both equally hard to raise. Although girls have the drama and boys have the fist fights. It all comes down to how you handle your kids. I have a two year old and he scares me to death with all the falls head banging and fighting with his 4 year old cousin who lives with us. I have nieces who are tom boys and pretty girls, either way kids are a handfull, and like my parents always said, I hope your children give you as much hell as you gave me!! And I think they do give you hell no matter what gender!

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Elizabeth Flora Ross says:

at 4:59 pm

I only have one child – a girl. She is 4. There is NOTHING easy about her. She is kicking my ass on the daily. I’m blown away by how complicated the mother-daughter dynamic is even at this young age. It’s scary.

I think all kids can be hard, regardless of gender. But there are unique challenges that come with each. Can’t tell you which one is “harder.”

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Jolene Navarro says:

at 5:16 pm

For the last 21 years I have been collecting data on this very topic. So I will give you my crazy opinions with no foundation in reality.

I have two girls (now 21 and 19) they are true blessings but one ran head long into life- didn’t know how to swim, so what, she would leap in, did’t know how to ride a bike, how hard could it be (ER) roller blades no fear (ER) run into the highway and laugh. All before she was three. After the running incident she was not allowed out the door without a leash. At she blew out her knee in a Basketball game. Two car crashes â€“ one totaled the car. Daughter 2? Would sit for hours still and still will. NO DRAMA EVER and she in now in her 2nd yr of college and she refuses to drive. Oh, but son # 1 now 16 went through a period of crying every morning we never found out why, he hated school, church anywhere that was not home. After two girls I was so worried we finally had a full blown drama queen. Now as a six foot Jr he is captain of the football team, Class VP and leader in his church – no ER trips. Oh now my 14 yr old boy – I think now I’m just tired he is just like his oldest sister, no drama but head first into life I fear him driving.

Anyone that says Boys are easier(that is what I have always heard over and over again) is full of crap – Raising kid is the hardest thing you will ever do and the most rewarding.

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Elana says:

at 5:20 pm

I will gladly trade you my drama queen 5-year-old daughter for a boy. My son is SOOOO much easier to deal with!

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- Jolene Navarro says:
  
  at 6:27 am
  
  That makes me sad that you would even say that.
  
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Amanda says:

at 5:41 pm

I couldn’t agree less with that and most of my friends who have one of each would agree with me. The only people I have heard say that are the ones who don’t have daughters.

My son, who is my oldest is an absolute breeze. He is sweet and very well behaved. My daughter couldn’t be more different. She is feisty and head strong. It’s not all bad, she is also smart and hilarious. You know how the poem goes “When she is good she is very very good and when she is bad she is rotten”. I am trying to console myself by saying the qualities that make her difficult right now will help her be a strong and independent young lady

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Tracy says:

at 5:55 pm

I have a 5 year old girl and 19 month old boy. So far boy is way more active (ie head butting, physical etc) than my daughter ever was. But we are already way into the attitude from the girl too.
I am one of two girls. My sister was as high strung and moody as they come and I was a typical girl. We fought, threw attitude and I am sure drove our parents nuts from 13 to 18. But I also met my husband when he was in college and saw a lot of young men struggle to grow up while their female counterparts were way ahead of the curve. Plus girls communicated with their parents while boys ( who are not very communicative in general ) didnt.
Two expressions come to mind: “it is easier to raise a boy, but much harder to raise a man.” And “A daughter is a daughter for life; a son is a son til he takes a wife.” I don’t mean to offend parents of boys or men in general but it’s true. Girls and women communicate more with their parents and tend to stay in touch. Typically the maternal grandparents are closer. So for me while the dramas a lot to deal with, overall from start to finish girls are easier to manage and stay closer. I hope my son is an exception. That’s my very long two cents! 🙂

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Danielle says:

at 6:20 pm

I think the “girls are easier than boys” myth only applies to the teen years. I’d say “and potty training”, but my girl is so stubborn at 2 she won’t even look at it. Her fav. word is “no.” Starting early much?!

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Judy says:

at 6:33 pm

My husband and I have 3 boys right now, so we can’t say if they’re any harder or easier, but they definitely are the loves of our life….well, love is how they came to be anyways.

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Kaeli says:

at 6:34 pm

I have three boys and three nieces. I will take the boys any day of the week, and one of my boys is autistic. no drama and I know more about dinosaurs than I do about Justin Beiber. Or, as my dad always put it “When you have a boy, you just have to worry about one penis.”

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- kim says:
  
  at 3:48 am
  
  Yeah, but that one penis can produce so many more. Out of my 2 sisters, my brother, and me (a girl), it was my brother who was a teen parent. And then he impregnated a string of other girls over the following years.
  
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Rebecca says:

at 6:49 pm

Obviously anyone who has ever said tjhis phrase has never met my 16 month old daughter who has discovered “the terrible two’s” early and for those who say the “terrible three’s” are worse does not bode well for this mommy, because some days are “exorcist” days and I wait for her heat to start spinning and some are “The Grudge” days, an on those days I would not be surprised to find her on the ceiling like a Bean SÃ¬dhe (Banshee for those who dont speak gaelic) at this rate I will be lucky to survive the toddler years, and I dare not think of the teenage years…..*Blanches*

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Kevin R says:

at 8:11 pm

I’m a stay at home dad raising my 3 boys and 1 girl. Prior to my career change of pediatric home health nurse to stay at home ring master, I was exposed to this question over and over. And for me the answer remains boys are much much easier, and especially when they are in larger groups. The creativity, independence, individuality and feminine intelligence my daughter has makes her by far the most challenging child of my four. Boys jump off things, pee on things, make bows and arrows from your dress shoe laces. Daughters learn from the moment they talk to play mommy against daddy games, skillfully throw tantrums or be super sweet. My boys will tackle each other if mad, my daughter will play mind games with them until they get so mad they get themselves in trouble. Little girls are amazing but that also means if they want they can be much more challenging. Anyhow keep up the good work men, it’s nice to know there are other men out there fighting the good fight, even if that fight is a bedtime routine.

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Morgan says:

at 12:01 am

Another “long time reader, first time commenter” here as I’m trying to go back to sleep since my 4 year old son woke me up at 2am while my 2 year old daughter continues to sleep through the night – as usual. Just sayin…). My daughter, while very girly, is every bit as wild as my son, running circles around the living room every evening with her brother yelling “I’m a race car!”. She also laughs just as much as he does at burps and farts, loves dirt and dinosaurs (and, obviously race cars) and has had just as many, if not more, bumps, bruises, skinned knees and busted lips as her big brother. They are each very difficult and relatively easy at times; I couldn’t say one more than the other. But yeah, while I’m not looking forward to teen years period, my husband and I definitely dread (and fear) dealing with a pubescent daughter.

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kim says:

at 3:42 am

I have 3 girls and no boys, so I can’t really say. But my 3 girls all have different temperaments. There is a lot of drama, but there is also a lot of hitting and whining and climbing and jumping and all those things that boys do.

I don’t like all this talk like girls are over-emotional, irrational, fear-inducing demons. My girls are a bit complicated, but it simply takes a lot of talking with them to work it all out and get to the bottom of the problem.

For many of the struggles which come up between them and me and between siblings, we apply P.E.T. They get to work out their conflicts in a rational, creative way and they come up with their own solutions. I find that my girls may have problems identifying their issues, but once we’re taken the time to identify them and talk about them, they go away and the girls are calm and happy. I think, like Thomas Gordon, that if we keep this up, we won’t have the classic teen problems.

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- Jolene Navarro says:
  
  at 6:21 am
  
  Kim, I 100% agree with you. Children will live up to the expectations we have for them. My two daughter 19 and 21 never went through the “classic” teen dramma. Never did they scream “I hate you Mom.” or not want to be seen with us. I also have two sons 16 and 14. They are all difficult to raise and it is worth every moment.
  
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  - kim says:
    
    at 7:35 am
    
    Jolene, that’s good to hear. I’m actually looking forward to the teen years. And seriously, here in France, they don’t have such teen drama.
    
    Reply
Ch Sh says:

at 11:58 pm

I am a mother to 3 boys and found this site while trying to decide if I want our 4th to be a boy or a girl. I truly can’t decide. But things that make me feel like I am blessed to have all boys is the CONSTANT drama, attitude, bringing up of the past, intense rivalry and just plain ANNOYING stuff that happens when my mostly female family gets together. It has gotten to a point that I avoid my family because of the cattiness and drama that comes along with females. Honestly, we women can be biatches sometimes, even I annoy myself.

Grandparents on one side had 4 girls and one son, my grandmother always wishes she had more sons and regularly says how much easier boys are. Grandparents on the other side also had 2 girls and 2 boys and they too say the exact same thing, that boys are easier. Of the girls from this generation there has been teen pregnancy, suicide and drug problems. No problems with the males.

Of all of us born to our parents, most of us are females. I have 5 sisters and one brother. Most of the cousins are also female. The boys never had trouble or problems in school and growing up or in life in general. Of us girls, there has been teen pregnancies, jail on 2 occasions, drug rehab, mental institutions, attempted suicide, death from drug overdose and one of my sisters was raped.

I am the odd bird, my boys are the almost the only boys to be born in the family of all of my siblings and of my first cousins. Let me put it this way, there are exactly 16 girls, and 5 boys from my generation of the family. 3 of the 5 boys are mine. So far, my sister and cousins with the girls (especially the girls in the pre-teen to teen range) are having a lot of major problems with sex, drug use, rebellion, etc. Of the boys, no problems yet. One of my sisters complained that her two teenage daughters would come home from school and have a 20 minute crying fit over silly things (something I never did but remember all too well with my older sisters). Let me tell you, that gets old FAST.

With my boys I may constantly be having to say “don’t throw that!” “OMG, hold still and let me check to make sure your [leg, arm, hand, ankle] is not broken!” “Don’t climb on that, it doesn’t look safe!” “you don’t whack things with the racket, you play tennis with it!” But I also am spared the cat fights, manipulation, drama, crying fits, etc… And something I also notice, I am the queen of my entire house and all of my boys adore me and dote on me. Where as my siblings with all girls are in constant quarrel and power struggles with their girls.

So I would say HANDS DOWN, that BOYS ARE EASIER.

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smokinlogan says:

at 7:54 pm

Well, my daughter currently likes to stand on my glass table and dive onto the couch when i’m not looking, or my favorite climb the tree in our backyard can’t tell you how many knots she’s gotten. Maybe i’ll get the bad stuff now and it’ll be all roses later??? Probably an inferno all the way through. Being a guy I have to say the teenage years to put fear in me least I have ten years to prepare.

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Julian says:

at 7:55 pm

Wow I’m shocked at all the hatred towards daughters. Maybe that’s where the problem starts. I’m a really happy mother of a 20 year old daughter who is in university and has Never given me grief. I also have a 17 year old son. He has been the most challenging with temper tantrums and lack of communication. He was difficult to take anywhere as a boy. Babysitters couldn’t handle his hyper ness . He too will be going off to university in a year but I had to put him in a private school for 6 years. Because the class he was in in grade 5 had â€œ8â€ juvenile trouble making â€œboysâ€ in his class. My youngest is 14 and is a girl, she is so caring and concerned for wellbeing of others and volunteers at homeless shelter with a girlfriend of hers. So in end I believe it matters who raises the girls and boys and role models.

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They Say Daughters Are “Easier” than Sons

““Andy

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