‘As a mummy to both, I cannot deny,

That boys are simple and girls are sly!’

I’ve had my babies now and am not planning any more! Having accomplished the goal of ‘one of each’, (with another in the middle) we are happy with our brood and, at last, after an age of poo, snot and sick, the baby/ toddler stage is over. Personally, I loved the ‘new-born’ stage. The time when I could put the baby down and know that it would remain in the same place, it didn’t answer back or tantrum unnecessarily and was totally dependent on me. That age was short lived! Soon I had little rollers, shufflers and climbers, seeking my attention and demanding the impossible or impractical! But were there differences in having boys and girls? Absolutely and without doubt- yes! I’ve always said that my girls couldn’t be anymore different from each other in their personalities but they share intrinsic similarities that, I believe, must just be female traits. Baby girls learn the art of manipulation at a very young age, don’t be fooled, it’s in the genes!! Boys, on the other hand, can be read like a book! What you see is what you get and they can’t help but tell the truth. My boy is five and he still can’t lie convincingly, the girls could tell a convincing tall tail by the age of three. You would think he should have learned from the masters, having two older sisters but no, he’s still easy to read and simple to please!

Lies, I tell you, Blatant Lies!!

At age three, K was out shopping with Grandma and they went into a pet shop. All of my kids love animals but unfortunately for them, I have, so far, refused to take on more work in the form of a furry pet! She managed to convince the shop assistant that she had rabbits and that she knew how to pick them up and hold them and then went on to demonstrate exactly that! Grandma (who, like me, can’t lie for toffee) was speechless at her granddaughter’s manipulation of the shop assistant and the totally convincing story, she was telling, knowing all the time that she had never held a rabbit in her little life- ever! I can only assume that she’d seen it on a television program or it was just luck that she did it right, either way, her confidence in delivery, sold her story at three years old!

At a similar age, Lou convinced all the staff at her pre-school that I had broken my arm the day before and spent the night in hospital. She explained that was why I wasn’t collecting her but was hoping I’d be home later. She’d sat all afternoon looking all forlorn and sad, worrying about me- all an act! She had fancied a bit of attention and thought of an elaborate way to get it. My girls really do have over active imaginations and acting abilities worthy of an Oscar!

Getting Dressed Dramas!

By age two, the girls had a clear idea of what they wanted to wear each day. This rarely coincided with what I wanted them to wear! They would actually hide anything that I’d gotten out for them (often claiming that I hadn’t- half the time I wasn’t too sure!) and choose something else, usually the most mismatched outfit and often something too small or completely the wrong season. A swimming costume matched with tights and wellies was a favourite, actually wellies pretty much went with everything! I was strong with K and usually won the battle, refusing the leave the house with an inappropriately dressed child. Lou, on the other hand, wore a lot of weird combinations of her own choosing – I learned to choose my battles with her!! The Boy just sat there while I dressed him in what I liked- easy! Well in the early days yes, but now even at five, I often have to bribe him to get dressed at all! I threatened to take him to school in his PJ’s and he waited until the last second before finally caving and getting dressed. I honestly thought it was going to backfire on me but my stubbornness paid off in the end!

Generally, with the Boy it’s an agreeable ‘do this and you’ll get that’, with the girls, this is followed be intense negotiation, reasoning and sometimes compromise. Like I said ‘choose your battles’, you are more likely to win the war! But of course, joking aside, it’s their little personalities that make them the gorgeous little people they are. I wouldn’t change their cheekiness, independence or strong-willed nature for the world! If my children sat quietly in a corner, I’d definitely be worried!! So my boy is simple and my girls are sly but I wouldn’t have it any other way!! 

What differences have you seen in bringing up girls and/ or boys? Have you had similar experiences to me or are yours totally different?

This post was first published on Hoorayformoms.com on 16th February 2017.