By Contributing Author, Lora Rossi of The Hugging Home
A lot has been said about what is easier – raising a boy or raising a girl.
And I find, in my experience, that people tend to think that the children they are raising are the most difficult!
Now personally, I have three boys. They are 10, 8 and 1.5 years old. And of course, in looking around at all the parents with little girls, I find myself thinking “Wow…they sure have it easy!” But really, how do I know this? I have never been the mother of a girl.
Sure, we can look at the generalizations.
Little boys tend to be more “rough and tumble”, louder, more active, la la la. My boys certainly are.
But I have seen little girls who could give them a run for their money…and I am sure many of you who are parenting girls would stand up and offer your daughter as a prime example.
I also know that many people say that while boys are more difficult to parent when they are young, once they hit the teenage years, things flip. The proverbial “they” say that if you have teenaged boys, you only have to worry about them. If you have teenaged girls on the other hand, you have to worry about everyone else’s boys!
Then there is the infamous teenaged girl attitude. I mean, I was a pretty darned good kid in high school if I do say so myself, but even I know that I gave my parents…especially my mother…some pretty frustrating “I am better than thou” ‘tude. The rolling of the eyes, the slamming of the bedroom door, the “whatever Mom”s and the refusal to give her the satisfaction that she may, in some cases, actually be right!
But then I think of the stories my husband has told me about his youth. Let’s just say that cars, party beverages, dare devilish acts of virtual insanity and the like were involved. And all I can think of is that I have three little versions of my husband to look forward to.
Yay.
Some would argue that the experience of raising boys and girls…and how day or difficult it is for the parent…has a lot to do with which parent you are talking to…the mom or the dad.
I know that while my boys enjoy spending time with me, my older two much prefer to play sports, nerf guns, video games, etc. with their dad. Could it be that I pretty much suck at these activities? Or perhaps that I don’t have nearly the same amount of enthusiasm for them? Well, when they were 2 and 4, shooting hockey pucks at me in net was great fun! “Mommy, you should play in the NHL!”, I remember one of them explaining with excitement.
Now? Not so much. While if mommy is all that they can get it is fine…but daddy is so much better!
And so in some ways, it is more difficult for my husband because he can’t catch a break. As soon as he returns home from a long day at work, the boys are all over him wanting to play this or build that. Somehow, I think if they were girls, they would not be quite as quick to go to their father to do each others’ hair or to sing Kareoke to the latest Justin Beiber tune.
Now don’t get up in arms! I know girls play sports and I know that boys can belt out a song…but I think you can catch my drift here.
As a female, sometimes I am the one – in my testosterone-heavy home – who feels like I have it hard! I mean, can we not just enjoy a quiet game of barbies? Can we not all sit around for a quiet afternoon of reading a sipping tea? Can we not go to the ballet? Go and get manis and pedis? How about we all go shopping for new throw pillows for the living room!?! Don’t these things sound exciting? No!?!?
Can’t we just do something that I enjoy once in a while?
And so…more often then not, I find myself either not doing these things at all, or doing them very infrequently – either by myself or with a friend or my mom (and thank God we get along famously now that my attitude has subsided a fair bit!)
The bottom line is that parenting is hard. Period.
And parenting is a lot of fun. Period.
It is probably the most difficult and the most wonderful experience that life has to offer. No wonder we are all confused about it!
So enough about which gender is easier or harder. Each kid is different. Each parent is different. Each family has totally unique dynamics and it is all about how we accept and react to the cards we have been dealt that speaks to how we feel about the whole thing.
I know I feel extremely lucky to have my three beautiful boys.
But if you have a little girl who digs show tunes and spa treatments, gimme a buzz.
I will happily babysit.
About the Author: Lora Rossi is the busy mother of 3 boys, wife, writer, blogger, artist, DIYer, certified home stager, non-profit professional and has a passion for connecting with and helping others, especially through the creative arts and the written word. Lora specializes in parenting, family, kids and authentic living. She’s a ruler breaker, a cookie baker, a lawn raker, an earth quaker, a morning waker, an ass shaker, a for heaven saker, a home maker and most of all a hug taker. Check out her blog The Hugging Home.
