In this segment on Mornings on Channel 9, I discussed the question of whether raising boys is very different to raising girls. Many experienced parents have strong opinions about whether one gender is easier to raise than the other

Some studies support the idea that boys’ behaviour is more difficult than girls’. This may be because boys tend to ‘externalise’, or show their frustrations with physical behaviour, whereas girls are more likely to internalise their frustration.

In this video, we talked about parents unintentionally treating their boys and girls differently and about all children needing empathetic and caring communication with parents, teachers and care givers. 

There are of course some general differences in how boys and girls like to play and communicate – researchers frequently discuss how much of this difference is due to hormonal and brain differences and how much is due to social influences. 

Watch this Channel 9 Mornings show segment and let us know what you think:

Raising Boys vs Raising Girls

Did you start your parenting journey thinking about gender bias in parenting?

Do you think it is easier to raise boys or girls, or simply different?

What are your stories that highlight any differences in raising boys and girls?

Is it possible to raise boys and girls without a gender bias?