Any differences raising sons as opposed to daughters?

J

jackthelad

Joined
Feb 21, 2005
Messages
496
Hello there,
Have a question and this seems to be the most logical place. Mrs Jackthelad is currently expecting baby #4 in late June. We went to the doctor today for Mrs Jackthelad's ultrasound at 22 weeks. The doctor asked us near the end if knowing the sex was something we wanted to know. Well, I seem to produce only girls, and we have 2 girl dogs and a girl bird, so I did not think it was necessary. I am vastly outnumbered, but have settled into a nice groove parenting-wise and love having daughters. This was odd, as I came from a family of 6 boys and a girl, and I thought I would marry my wife and have a gaggle of sons. I had expected and steeled myself for another girl, and I was speechless when he told us it was a boy. WTH? I politely asked him if he could please check again, and he assured me-(and showed me), it is definately a baby boy. I am not one of those guys that "really wanted a son", I have been perfectly happy with my girls, and that is what I hoped for. Girls seem to have a great bond with Dads, and my girls are "tomboys" I guess. They like to fish and hunt with Dad-(when they are old enough-the oldest 2 are). They like to shoot and they have their own knife collections. My 9 year old asked me the other day, with a serious look on her face, if I was indeed her "hunting and fishing buddy". Great, beautiful, lovely, wonderful girls that are as beautiful as their Momma. Now, I sit here tonight, scratching my head and am a little nervous about having a son. Is there anything different I need to do as far as how they are raised as opposed to girls? Anyone else ever get surprised with something like this? Mrs Jackthelad, of course, is THRILLED. She told me before we found out that, "Hey- you have the other ones, I want one too!" Dang, we already had a girl's name all picked out, and who was sharing a room with who. Well, we have a few more months to figure it out. We really seemed to have spaced them out as well. When our son is born- late June, we will have a 15 yr old, a 10 yr old, a 5 yr old and a newborn. If you saw my wife, you would understand, though. I think I may be done after this one, though. Any obserrvations on raising boys versus girls?
 
um, don't name him Sue?

Sorry, had to say that.
I have one of each. There is something in what your wife says. My son communicates better with his mother and my daughter communicates better with me. But even so, your son WILL try to emulate you and be like you. The best thing you can be for your son is the best person you can be. Your daughters may bond with you, but they will emulate their mother as they grow up. Your son will emulate you. He may have different likes and passions, but in the way he treats people, in the way he treats the world, he will emulate you.

and BTW Congratulations!
 
Well for the basics , men and women are different !!! Recent brain studies prove that the brain function of men and women are different ! Girls usually develop speech sooner than boys and do better at it . In any case don't assume . There are great differences in people and deal with them as individuals rather than going by the 'average' boy or girl.
 
Good point. At what age can I start buying him the really cool toys that I want? Now you all have me thinking that getting him his own Benchmade as a "homecoming gift" is certainly not out of the question. I have held off with that stuff with my daughters, for the most part, but I think it is easier to get away with, with a boy.
 
Well, right now you are your girl's "knight in shining armor". Your job is to teach your son to be that "knight in shining armor" for someone else's daughter. Just be careful of how you treat your girl's because he will see this as how he is to treat women also.
 
Don't ask me I have seven daughters. I have been the only male influence in my18 year old grandsons life. We adopted his mother as a pregnant teenager.
He has turned out to an incredible young man. I can only take part of the credit. From what i have seen your role is much more important with a son. As teenagers your girls can seem to be perfect angels when they are not.
It will be harder for a son to fool you.
I do not see my grandson nearly enough. He wants to go in the Marines in the fall and is busy with school and work. From an early age he has collected knives and guns with money he has earned at gun shows.
I cannot imagine anything more rewarding than raising a son and giving him your traditions and values and seeing him become a productive adult.
 
This is only our personal experience but my wife and I believe that girls are a little harder on you. I don't know why but ours always challenged us while our boy was more obedient. All you can do is pray and guide them the best you can. Eventually as they grew older they realized we were not as dumb as they thought.
 
Congratulations dude! When they're your kids, they're all fun!

I have three sons; 12, 8, and 6 and two daughters; 10 and 4 and they're each unique individuals. However, from my experience pre-teen daughters are a mystery, pre-teen sons are just awkward. Little girls are princesses, little boys are tackling dummies. All of my kids help me with "tool chores", come hunting and fishing, wash dishes, do laundry, cook and clean, work in the garden and help butcher chickens.

It's a lot of fun watching their personalities develop and my oldest two are just starting to move into that stage where being with mom and dad might not be the coolest thing in the world. Fortunately, both Ben and Bekah still prefer our company to their friends', I'm hoping that'll last for a few more years!

We talk a lot about how to treat others, especially members of the opposite sex. I'm not looking forward to dating ages...

J-
 
I have 2 girls, and they are a huge challenge.

I also have a shop, and an office with locking doors, where I can hide when it is that time of the month. :eek:

A wife and two teenage daughters should qualify me for hazardous duty pay.

At any rate, it should be a bit easier raising the boy.

Now, for some advice? Consider a visit to your urologist for the snip and clip. 2 kids was MORE than enough for me.
 
Well for starters, your boy can't get knocked up after the Prom. :)

I have no idea which is 'easier', but I have an almost-two-year-old boy and he's a handful. Stubborn, rough, and ornery. On the Plus side, he's very interested in 'boy' things: trains, dog poop, livestock, spiders, pocketknives, trucks, etc.

Doll clothes, makeup, and "girl talk" are some 'joys' that I'm thankful to be avoiding.
 
Two boys, 11 and 7. They are very close and play together well. Not into guns, having said that the youngest wants a BBDaisy gun. They love knives but outside is very hot at times so they use the Playstation against each other or get on PCs to play against my wife.



My Goddaughters all broke out in pink clothing at ages 6-9. Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? They were lots of fun, great to spoil and more reliant with what you say or do than boys. Sent one up in a Pits Special for her 7th birthday present at an airshow. Her mother became very unreasonable after that.
 
cockroachfarm said:
....
Boys vs. girls? Well, you spend more money on one than on the other. I haven't figured out yet which is which. ;)
Click to expand...


I think girls are more expensive.

Thinking back about how my sister was treated in comparison to my brother and I, she was pampered.

My daughters are pampered as well, but not nearly as much as my sister was.

I think if I had a son, he'd have been shown things in a very different way than my daughters.
 
Seriously answer, I have three boys and one girl who I am a God Father to. She lives with her mom and step dad but we are as close as father and daughter.


Boys as little kids want to play rough, they hunger to know from thier dads that they have what it takes to be a man. As a father you must always encourage them and let them know that they are going to be great men. That they have what it takes. that Clint Eastwood aint got nothing on them. Boys hunger for thier fathers acceptance. Never try to be this unapproachable role model that they can never achieve your status of manhood.


Girls on the other hand want to know fromt thier fathers that they are beautiful, loved, and accepted that they too are the apple of your eye. Girls want to know that thier father cherishes them and accepts them as a thing of beauty and love. If they do not find this love, cherish. and acceptance from thier fathers they will find it from the first boy who pays attention to them. That could spell disaster.


Thats what I learned...

R
 
I'm lucky I have one of each. as far as i can tell it works out like this
Sons = more annoyance, as in why are my few snap on tools laying in the driveway scattered from the garage to the street.
Daughters = more worry, as in dang it she's 1 minute late for curfew what terrible thing has happened.
it's still a fun filled ride. It's kind of like Steve Martins character said in the movie Parenthood, When you're a parent it never ends,even when the kids are grown and out of the house with kids of their own their still your kids.
I kinda like that, ahgar
 
Great insights here. This is exactly what I was looking for. Ren, I agree, and will not go to The "unapproachable Eastwood" thing.
 
I have a 15 yold boy and a 17 yold girl. The girl became very moody and rude when she became a teenager. She is slowly starting to come out of it but I think we are still a couple years away from having a normal person to interact with. The boy is very easy going and is a pleasure to be around. It's like a night and day difference between the two.
 
you wont have to worry to much, hes got 3 older sisters to look out for him and spoil him, im the baby of 3 (older brother and older sister, 12 and 11 years older than me) i got a lot of advice from them that my parents couldnt give me and while i of course love my parents and they gave me a lot of guidance with out my brother and sister i would just have been to far removed from my parents age wise (they are 40 years older than me)

my parents always told us how much easier it was to raise my brother and me compared to my sister (she was kind of a tomboy while still being very prissy, ya how ever that worked out)

i think you should be fine, if you were able to raise a daughter from the get go i think a son will be easy for you (then again i have no experience in that area and hope not to for a little while long... but at the current female interaction/lack there of, i wont have to worry about that)

good luck and congrats
-matt
 
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