Raising Girls is Much More Challenging Than Raising Boys

As a proud parent of children of both genders, I am here to tell you that there are different challenges you will face while raising children of either sex. But it has been my personal experience, and is my expressed opinion, that girls are definitely harder to raise than boys.

1 Girls are more delicate. Let the feminist rave at that, but girls are generally more emotionally sensitive than their male counterparts. Rarely have my sons come home in a depression because their best friend heard from their other friend that another boy told their friend that they didn't like them because they were friends with someone else they aren't friends with anymore. Confused? Yea, if you have girls you will be. The emotional dynamic of their world leads to many tears and strong words.

2 Girls are not as strong as boys. They aren't. It is just a physical reality. Men are stronger and boys are tough. While I raised a tomboy in my daughter, she loved to fish and get dirty and really touch all that yucky stuff; she just can't hang with the guys physically. You have not seen a frustrated girl until you see one who is being outdone by the boys and she really wants to keep up with them.

3 Girls are appearance obsessed. When they are very young, this may not be an issue. But girls are constantly bombarded by messages in advertising and from their friends and family that they must be beautiful and thin and look great all the time. My pencil thin daughter obsesses about being fat and not wanting to eat because she will gain weight. She started asking for cosmetics at an early age because the other girls were wearing them. They spend lots of time in the bathroom primping and making their hair just so. Have you ever compared the cost of a haircut for boys versus girls? Not only are they more expensive, they require a lot more upkeep for the final look.

4 Girls get pregnant. I am one of those parents who would make my son take responsibility if he ever got someone pregnant, and we teach abstinence as the optimum choice during their growing teenage years. However, in reality, it is the girl in the situation who has to bear the physical burden of childbirth or termination, whatever is decided among the families. It is the girl who will have to bear the stigma and the stares, while a boy can anonymously hide his part from view if he wants. Rarely is a boy going to get a "bad rep" from such a situation, where a girl is something completely different as far as society is concerned.

5 Girls are sneaky. Yes, believe it or not, your sweet little baby girl will grow up and having cunning and stealth. Girls are much better at hiding their exploits than boys. It has been my experience that when involved with wrong-doing; girls are much better at hiding it, they have a better poker face than boys, and my boys generally get caught much quicker than my daughter.

6 Girls hold onto their grudges longer. My sons get over a situation much quicker than my daughter. If they are mad at friend or at you, they can stay mad for the longest time. They don't forget a grievance easily.

7 And lastly, you never stop worrying about your little girl, even when they are grown and gone.

Irish Saying: A son is a son till he takes him a wife, a daughter is a daughter all of her life.