Parents magazine asks whether it is easier to raise boys or girls. We have two girls, Teresa and Gabrielle, and five boys – Matt, Michael, Mark, Tim, and Stephen. But I have wondered what it would be like if we had the opposite, five girls and two boys. What if we had Terrence, Maddy, Gabriel, Michelle, Marcella, Tina, and Stephanie instead? How would our lives be any better or worse?
Boys seem to require more maintenance early on. For example, it is our experience that boys are harder to potty train than girls, and girls seem less prone to wetting the bed. That means that girls smell better than the boys, too. Girls would also save us money on diapers and pull-ups and the time we spend washing bed linens and stinky boys.
Life would be quieter without all these boys. Our sons seem to have two volume levels: loud and full-blast. That makes their choice of conversation topics sometimes unfortunate. Little boys find words like poop and pee and toilets hilarious. If we had more girls, these would hardly be regular topics of conversation and the cause of raucous laughter.
Boys seem to require more maintenance early on. For example, it is our experience that boys are harder to potty train than girls, and girls seem less prone to wetting the bed. That means that girls smell better than the boys, too. Girls would also save us money on diapers and pull-ups and the time we spend washing bed linens and stinky boys.
Life would be quieter without all these boys. Our sons seem to have two volume levels: loud and full-blast. That makes their choice of conversation topics sometimes unfortunate. Little boys find words like poop and pee and toilets hilarious. If we had more girls, these would hardly be regular topics of conversation and the cause of raucous laughter.
Our house would be neater and fewer things would be broken if we had more girls than boys. We have to remind our sons all the time that they are not to have light saber fights in the house. We also have to remind them to pick up all their toys. Currently we are having a problem with army men scattered throughout the kitchen and dining room.
On the other hand, I think it would be more difficult to have more girls than boys as they got older. Eventually, I would have four teenage girls. In such a case, our two bathrooms would not be adequate. I would likely have to resign myself to brushing my teeth out in the yard, holding a cup of water.
Girls would be more expensive. They need more healthcare and beauty products than boys do. For example, my older daughter has two bottles of shampoo and two bottles of conditioner for some reason. She also has a variety of soaps and washes. Conversely, my oldest son uses some product which acts as shampoo, conditioner, and moisturizing body wash all in one.
Girls seem to need more clothes and the accessories that go with them. It seems that just about every month my wife has to take Teresa out clothes shopping because she doesn’t have one of this or that item. My younger boys have worn or will wear almost all the clothes that their older brother has worn. My girls, because they have different builds, will wear almost nothing the same.
So what are we going to do? My wife and I have come up with a plan we think will work. We will see if there are any families who want to trade our boys for their girls for the next few years. When they hit the teenage years, we’ll take our boys back.
I don't have as much experience as you, but I vote that boys are easier. Too much drama with the girls! (side note: the name Michelle is a good choice!)
ReplyDeleteWith three boys in a moderately sized house, I often remind myself that my grandmother-in-law raised seven children in a house approximately this size. There were no disposable diapers (we use cloth as well) and she occasionally had to resort to using one of her husband's t-shirts for a diaper.
ReplyDeleteThe reminder is helpful for me to think about what we really need and what is a luxury our society tries to convince us we need.
I can't vote on the boy or girl debate, since I have three boys and no girls, but most parents have told me what you claim. Fascinating.
I'm a "mom" to 850 teenagers every day. I think girls are typically more emotionally needy and boys are more physically needy. In our female dominated classrooms I see lots of tears and petty bickering. Boys are more concerned about their "space", stuff and masculinity.
ReplyDeleteI have two sons and one daughter. She was much easier to raise.
Yes, as my teen daughters get older I spend more money at CVS with them. Needless to say, I have a lot of Bonus Bucks!
ReplyDeleteI remember when my youngest daughter was neat and her room just so....now she is a slob like the other two teens.
I miss the old days.
I think boys are so much easier to raise, the girls are too needy and whining and bitchy....one of is enough not three of us! Ha.
Trust me. Boys are easier. It takes me twice as long to get my daughter ready in the morning than if I had a boy whose hair didn't need to be in pony tails and who didn't have all of the accessories that come with girls. However, boys are more wild in some cases and I like things in my house to remain unbroken.
ReplyDeleteThe clothes I can understand and the other accessories, but they don't have to be expensive. My parents were very good at pounding the message into my head that "life is not made for you to spend money" or something like that. My only problem with boys, and some grown men, is that they can't seem to hit where they aim in the bathroom and then don't think to clean up after themselves.
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