Boys and girls have different physical and mental traits from birth but at home you should raise them the same way and focus on developing their skills.
Boys and girls are different both physically and mentally from birth. However, apart from their innate differences, they reflect the learning acquired from the parents who guides their education at home. Therefore, boys and girls have some innate and some learned differences.
The main physical and mental differences that babies can display after birth are as follows:
- Girls are often quicker to start talking because the left hemisphere of their brains, which is responsible for this skill, is more developed at birth than in boys.
- Boys are more active in their motor skills, which develop early. They are usually better at running, jumping and throwing things.
- The two hemispheres of the female brain connect earlier than they do in boys, which is why girls may have better reading skills.
- Girls tend to be quieter and move less and demonstrate a preference for precision and handling activities. Their fine motor skills develop early.
- Boys are usually born two centimetres taller and about 200 grams heavier.
- Boys have better spatial visualization skills from the outset.
- Boys tend to be more sociable and form large groups at school, while girls prefer to spend time in twos or threes.
Nevertheless, despite any possible differences in their early development, boys and girls should be raised the same way, respecting their tastes and preferences and disregarding stereotypes. It is crucial that values of equality between boys and girls are taught at home, as imitating role models can be more influential than genes themselves.
Buy toys without considering the gender of the child but his preferences, and encourage children to play with both boys and girls. Education and skills development should be equal; however, there are some things you can emphasize depending on whether the child is a boy or a girl:
- You should encourage language development and fine motor skills in boys, in between letting them play outdoors.
- Encourage girls to move around and play outdoors, to help with their motor development and sociability, interspersed with activities they prefer.