Raising children differently based on gender?

Question

In what ways have you noticed parents raising their children differently based on their gender?
I'm not talking about parents giving boys trucks for their birthday and girls dolls for their birthday- I'm talking about fundamental differences in how they raise their children. Examples could include: different basic lessons taught to boys and not to girls, different phrases used consistently with girls and not with boys, etc...
Do you think these differences in parenting are reasonable? Are they good for children? Or should we work harder to raise our children the same regardless of their gender?

Answer

Girls are taught "Sit like a lady" or "be ladylike".
Boys are taught "boys will be boys", "big boys don't cry", "man up", "toughen up", "put some bass in your voice". 
A lot of it is very toxic, and the reason I'm careful with how I talk to my baby girl. She may only be a month old, but I'm getting in the habit now of telling her "you're extraordinary" and "you're so smart", because it's just as important for her to hear that as it is to hear "you're so pretty". I plan on buying her princess dresses, but also doctor and construction worker and fireman dress up clothes. I plan on encouraging her to learn the STEM programs. Im raising an extraordinary, strong little girl who will be a very amazing woman one day.

Answer

Being more strict with girls' clothing, telling them to be like a 'lady', girls have to use more perfected mannerisms, also boys can't cry if they want to be a 'man'..ugh. It's all stupid. Raise them with the same values and principles. Then we won't have such a divide between us. It also makes it harder for other genders.

Answer

"boys will be boys" is toxic bs used to enable bad behavior by parents of boys.

Answer

In the experience of my own family, it's okay for my son to go out and get muddy and dirty, but my poor little niece was yelled at for doing the same. God forbid she gets a stain on the dress she'll grow out of next week. Also I notice girls are just expected to sit and be quiet because that is polite and "lady like" but boys need to be polite too!

Answer

I know people are trying to be kind and polite when they compliment kids, but it really frustrates me when all they can say to a little girl is "oh! Your dress is so beautiful!" Or "your hair looks so pretty today!"
I know, I know it's said in good nature. But when all we do is compliment looks, it can encourage them to be obsessive about their looks in order to get compliments in the future.
I try hard to compliment girls on characteristics I see in them, "you are such a strong leader", or "you are so enjoyable to be around" are much more positive compliments in the long run.
I'm mentioning girls because we seem to compliment girls on their looks much more often than boys and it seems like the petty compliments can be more harmful to girls in the future, too. Boys we tend to compliment on performance and I wonder if that's harmful in the future as well.

Answer

There are tons of studies on this if you're interested. One major difference is the way people talk to their baby daughters as opposed to their sons. There's even studies that say they talk more to their daughters, which could be one reason girls are likely to acquire language at an earlier age. They use gentler phrases and tell them things like "be nice". They teach girls to put others first. Boys get away with more and are "allowed" to be inconsiderate of others and put their own needs first.

Answer

My son and daughter are being raised the same way, I got a lot of backlash because I put a robot indie on my daughter which was my son's and letting my son play with dolls. I will not limit them to what society thinks is best.
I want my daughter to know it's ok to be a career orintated women or a working mom or even SAHM that she can be whatever she wants, I want my son to know how to take care of babies and that's it ok to be loving and caring that it doesn't make him a "sissy or not manly" That he can be a SAHD if his gf or wife wants to work or even if he doesn't want a family and wants to be career orientated that he can be and do whatever he wants.
What I will encourage the most is college I love them they are my world and I will make sure they are both raised to know they can reach for the stars, that theirs dreams are never to big!!

Answer

I try to encourage my daughter do to and act however she would like. She hates getting dirty, but i've found she loves bugs and fishing. She also loves to be a "pretty princess" but i make it clear to her that she's always beautiful even if she's all dirty. We just have fun however there is fun to be had. I like to think that my parenting wouldn't be any different for a boy

Answer

My LO is only 4 months but I'm raising her to be happy and respectful. Gender has never crossed my mind when I try and set an example for her.

Answer

I think people can raise their kids however they choose to. If they want to raise their daughters different than their sons, that's their right to choose, being that they are the parents of said kids.

Raising children differently based on gender?

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