I once heard a mother say that her baby boy cried more frequently than her baby girl when she was hungry. She believed that girls were more adept at practicing control. It was the exact opposite in other places. We also learn how attitudes and behavioral traits, which distinguish newborn boys from newborn girls, might be used by parents. Infant females are thought to develop communication and early gross motor skills more quickly than infant boys, however this is not universally agreed upon.
The majority of these viewpoints are based on the observations of parents who have raised their kids. There are variations between newborn boys and girls, yet it is questionable whether these differences even exist, according to research:
1. Social Skills:
Because they are more sensitive to people’s feelings, they are praised as sweet. The idea is backed up by 100 studies that show girls are better at reading facial emotions than boys. British research, on the other hand, discovered that although infant males gaze at mobiles first, baby girls look at faces first.
In addition, the capacity to read faces is passed down from mother to child, and nurturing plays an important role in honing the talent. The gap in incapacity to be responsive to emotions between adult men and women is more than double that of children. Girls, it appears, learn to express their emotions in the womb, whereas guys learn to bottle up their emotions. One strategy to get your boys to be responsive is to help them learn the words that allow them to express themselves.
2. Spatial Skills:
In terms of spatial abilities, boys outperform girls. Boys as young as three to five months can imagine how an item would seem when rotated, according to studies. Girls of the same age, however, are unable to do so. Boys have an advantage over girls in arithmetic because they have spatial skills like these. This isn’t to say that girls aren’t capable of it. It simply explains why, from a young age, guys prefer sports and computer games over girls. You may begin to assist females to develop spatial abilities as early as infancy by exposing them to building blocks, numerical puzzles, and other activities that encourage mental agility.
3. Toy Preference:
What if your son was into dolls and your daughter was into trucks? Surprisingly, newborns are unable to distinguish between ‘boyish’ and ‘girlish’ playthings. While it is common for girls to play with tea sets and boys to play with trucks, the tendency has persisted due to social pressures, peer pressure, and gender-specific marketing.
In fact, it turns out that if girls are exposed to enough testosterone in the womb, they may enjoy the toys that are traditionally reserved for boys. Male monkeys preferred wheeled toys over soft toys, according to research conducted on monkeys to examine toy choice. Female monkeys preferred both. In the case of human beings, it could be wise to help remove the stereotype if your child has a toy preference that is contrary to the norm.
4. Walking:
Between the ages of 9 and 11 months, both genders of babies begin to walk. Some parents feel their boys are faster than their girls in attaining ɢʀᴏss-motor milestones, while others say the females are the ones that are first. Some pediatricians believe the same thing.
However, according to recent research, there is no substantial difference in gross-motor development between males and girls. Because males are normally taller and heavier than newborn girls by the time they are six months old, parents either underestimate or overestimate their boys and girls. As a result, the boy infant is expected to demonstrate physical abilities sooner than the girl baby. One way to keep both on par with each other is by giving them plenty of exercises and keeping them active physically unlike having them strapped on a stroller.
5. Talking:
Girls often begin talking about a month before males, in the early half of the second year. Girls tend to develop a greater vocabulary between the ages of 18 and 24 months, according to studies conducted by British academics.
However, it has been proved that, in addition to gender, which accounts for approximately 3% of a child’s capacity to communicate verbally, at least 50% of a child’s ability to communicate is determined by how he or she is exposed to the environment and the people around him.
6. Physical Activity:
Boys are more wiggly than infant females, according to Canadian experts. Boys are more likely to be spotted running, leaping, and playing ball on a playground than females, who spend more time on the changing table, crawl across longer distances or become restless in the stroller. Whether your child is a girl or a boy, it’s always a good idea to include them in a variety of workouts or physical activities, both indoors and out.
Share with us any difference you observed between your boys and girls. We would love to hear from you!