Why A Boy is Harder to Raise

The age-old question of who is harder to raise, boys or girls, is not an easy answer. It depends very much on the person raising the child, the child’s personality, and of course who you talk to. There are however some specific areas where boys are more difficult to raise than girls. The following is a look at why a boy is often harder to raise than a girl.

1. The first reason is simply that keeping them physically safe is more difficult. By nature, most boys are far more physical than girls are. They like to wrestle, run, jump, climb, skate, fight. They are more of an ‘act now, think of the consequences later’ type. So, as a parent, it can be difficult to raise boys because you are either fighting them, keeping them in a bubble, or making frequent trips to an emergency room. In addition, a toddler girl is going to be more content to sit and watch a movie, play tea party, etc. A toddler boy is going to want to be outside, digging, throwing rocks, etc. This means they require more energy, supervision, and time. It can be really exhausting to raise a boy simply because it is far more physical and energy consuming.

2. The second reason is that boys communicate less effectively in many instances. Girls will hold eye contact longer. Girls will give details without prodding. Boys don’t! This is especially true when they are teens. The lack of communication can be difficult when raising a child. How do you know what is going on in their life? Boys are action oriented, not people oriented. So, they communicate more with actions, and getting words can be difficult.

3. The third reason is that boys are more difficult to discipline. With girls, verbal discipline is far more effective. However, because boys are not as verbally communicative, and are far more physical and active, you have to use tactile discipline. This means you generally have to pick them up and put them in time out. Verbal warnings are not as effective, and so it takes a lot more energy to discipline a boy, and their tantrums are more physical, screaming, kicking, hitting, whereas a girl will just pout and yell and scream.

4. The fourth reason boys are harder to raise is that they often do not do as well in school, at least not initially. Boys learn more spatially, and are not as visual-auditory learners. Boys do better with hands on; however, the modern school system has you learn inside at a desk, out of books, etc. So, initially boys will be behind, and this can be because they have not developed the language and fine motor skills as fully. This makes the elementary school years with boys a lot more difficult. And, their frustration at school can be brought home making life a bit harder.