I am not your Modern Mami. And this is not my blog.
I am, in fact, Miss Britt and this is my blog. Which begs the question, what am I doing here?
As part of The Guest Post Challenge going on at my blog, Modern Mami has allowed me to post over here on the condition that I answer one question for her.
She asks, “Is raising a boy different from raising a girl?”
I am uniquely qualified to handle this question because I am a girl and know several boys. Also, I have a son and a daughter. One could say that I am raising them, or at the very least trying my best not to screw them up too badly.
The answer, dear Melanie, is:
Yes.
Most definitely, yes.
In fact, raising a girl is so different from raising a boy that it can leave you wondering if you have ever actually done this before because you quite clearly have no freaking CLUE what is going on even though you could have SWORN you have already been through this parenting stage not so long ago.
And the differences have absolutely nothing to do with what you had prepared yourself for. You came home and painted the nursery pink, only to find that your young daughter would tell you as soon as she could form the words how TOTALLY STUPID PINK IS!. You packed away the action figures and stocked up on Little Ponies and Polly Pockets, and were completely surprised to learn that I WANNA PLAY WITH A GUYZZZZ! WHERE IS MY GUYZZZZ???
And the only child whose been caught anywhere near that dollhouse set is your 8 year old son.
Oh yes, raising boys and girls is very different.
And not just because your expectations are different.
Well, maybe MOSTLY because your expectations are different.
But also because you suddenly become acutely aware of what the world will expect of your kids – and how THOSE are so vastly different for each of them. One will be pushed to grow up big and strong, while the other will be praised for being beautiful and charming. One will be allowed to well up with tears over dang near anything, while the other one will be told to suck it up if their emotions ever overwhelm them.
Suddenly you find yourself preparing two people, with entirely separate personalities for two starkly different worlds – all under the same roof under the constraints of one set of rules.
Raising boys is a challenge. Raising girls is also a challenge.
But raising boys AND girls together is a completely different challenge all its own.
Raising boys is one thing. Raising girls is another thing. Raising them together is a beast unto itself. This is a great truth often never revealed.
raising a girl is so different from raising a boy that it can leave you wondering if you have ever actually done this before because you quite clearly have no freaking CLUE what is going on even though you could have SWORN you have already been through this parenting stage not so long ago
Oh, yes. I hear you! I am the mom of a 6 yo daughter and 3 yo son. These words ring so true, so true.
Raising a girl and a boy is interesting and challenging, to say the least!
She is exactly right! I have raised two girls, ages 11 and 6. I now have a son who is 2 and let me say it is so different. I also agree with her statement about how you never know which will play with what. I find my son playing with his sister’s toys and his sister playing with his. Cracks me up!
I give my mother mad props for raising a (gay) boy and a girl all by herself.
We’re definitely different creatures and the world is simply a different place for Vaginal-Americans.
Yes it is very different.
For all of the reasons listed above. But mostly, for me, because I have no idea how the inner workings of a male mind works and often find myself mystified why my son thinks something is cool, interesting or funny.
Maybe the problem is I just don’t get fart jokes.
Thanks all for the input. And welcome new Modern Mami readers! 🙂
It seems I’ll have my work cut out for me if we have a boy in the future.
Now which is easiest to raise? 😉