Good morning, FRiends! Grab some coffee and jump in with your opinions, observations, and stories ...
Thanks for filling in this week...and for starting this this evening - so I could let all know I will be AWOL from the table in the morning.
BTW, mine are all boys but I come from a fmaily with five girls and one boy. My boys are a fresh summer breeze compared to what my sisters and I were like while growing up!
topic idea for future: how to handle sibling rivalry.
My kids boy 12 and girl 8 are constantly fighting and bickering sometimes physical. I almost am at the breaking point.
Anyway having a boy and girl the differences are very clear. My daughters best friend is a tomboy though and that is cause for concern. The little girl has no feminine qualities. She is a year older age 9 and we are hoping that they part as friends soon but right now I help the girls mother a lot by watching her.
I am always at odds with my daughter age 8 but my son age 12 is a gem. I dont have a favorite but right now I like my son much more. He is kind and giving etc things my daughter just is not yet. She is mean and can be vindictive and is very impulsive. All things my son was at same age so I can only hope she grows out of it all. She has her moments though, like last week she asked me "How do you throw away a garbage can?" LOL
Interesting topic!
I grew up with only girls so my first child being a boy was a huge change for me. He was (and still is) very active. I'd say physical activity levels are diferent, my daughter is active too, but not in such a daredevil way.
He needs more attention than she does, she is content to play by herself for a long time, although this could be because he is older and had us to himself for a couple of years.
My daughter is much more complaint and agreeable than my son, but I suspect that's not a gender difference so much as a personality difference.
When my son was around two, my husband and I were waiting on base to get new ID cards and our little boy was climbing over and under the empty chairs. We sighed at this, trying to get him to settle down, even though he wasn't annoying anyone but us, and a lady sitting near us with her teenage daughter said "honey, I'd rather raise 10 boys than one girl!!
So perhaps the tables will turn when they become teens!
I already see in my six year old daughter the psychodrama between girlfriends that you hardly ever see with boys. Who is friends with who and all that.
My son had a birthday party to which he invited a group of school friends and one kid from his soccer team who didn't go to his school. I was a little worried about the teammate fitting in, but when he showed up, my son introduced him, the guys all said "hey" and they all went on their merry way.
I was without a husband for nearly two years as he went overseas to fight the war on terror. My kids did great, but I struggled to be sure my son's development was not adversely affected. I'm a big reader and found that Dr. Dobson's book "Bringing Up Boys" is an excellent resource, if anyone needs a little extra input on relating to the boys (as females we might need some help).
Take care ladies...the kids are at camp today and I'm going to float in the pool and read my new Patricia Cornwell book! ;-) GG
lots of suggestions today... here is my story, and I promise to keep it short :)
I have 3 kids, Tricia born 9/6/90, than Jeff, 10/24/91, than Veronica, 2/16/93. See a trend here... I had 3 kids in diapers for 9 months while my husband was an OTR truck driver.
I know that girls are harder. I swear my daughters fight about everything just to get me mad. Now that one is a teen ager, the baby is angry that Tricia gets to do things that she cant do. The fussing at each other drives me nuts!!
My son has Aspergers syndrome also known as pervasive develepental disorder. He has been a handful, but with alot of work, and therapy, and love, he is reasonably normal at this point. he is still antisocial, but he trys so hard, and gets along better with little kids. He is the good kid.
There is a difference with boys and girls. I have neices and nephews, and boys for the most part are easier... so much simpler :) I hear men say they dont understand women, hey, I am a woman, and I dont understand me too.
I am just lucky I have what I have. It was not easy when the kids were small, taking care of everything all by myself, but I survived it, and thought it would get easier... NOT :)
Boys will be boys --- they are just more aggressive in a boy way. Girls tattle tell more. Sibling rivalry... is what you get whenever you add more than one kid to the mix. Whether they are siblings or not.
When You Feel Like Screaming: Help for Frustrated Mothers, by Pat Holt, is a really good book. It is as old as dirt, but full of good info. I also really liked Dobsons book about raising sons.