My daughter is 4 years old and her favourite word is ‘Caca’ (the french word for poop (we live in France). She loves guns, dinosaurs and fart jokes. She is incredibly loud, runs around like a crazy person and will very rarely let me put her in anything ‘pretty’. I also havent been allowed to tie her hair up since she was 2, so her incredibly curly blonde hair runs wild and I have had ‘boy mums’ actually ‘jokingly’ say; ‘you paid for her hair cut? You should ask for your money back’.

So… i do think that maybe you arent seeing enough girls raised by feminists who give them the choice. Because my daughter plays more like a ‘steriotypical boy’ than any of her 6 male cousins.

There is no difference between girls and boys. Different children just like different things and they can be swayed by parenting and surroundings.

I just wanted to add that as a boy mom, we also know our time being the most important woman in their lives is limited. My boys both love to hold my face in their hands and kiss each of my cheeks and tell me constantly that they want to marry me someday. And I have to let them down each time and remind them that I’m married to their daddy and that when they grow up, they’ll fall in love and Marty someone else. And that she will become the most important and significant woman in their lives. I already dread the day knowing I will gracefully step aside as his wife takes my place by his side, being the woman who means the most to him. But my daughter will always need me. For advice, for comfort, for lunch dates and helping with her own children. She will call me at 1am and ask me what to do when her own little one spikes a fever. My sons wives will call their own moms. I worry every single day that I am doing something wrong and that I won’t have prepared him properly for marriage or fatherhood. I do also worry the same for my daughter, but as I said, I know she will always reach out to me when she is struggling. My boys won’t. And as someone else stated above, there are no mother/son events. There are no tea parties or lunches for moms and sons. There are no mom and son dances and there are no mothers vs sons ice hockey matches. Fathers and daughters and fathers and sons and mothers and daughters have many different events and opportunities.

Wow that’s sad :( ! You make some good points. They need to start making “mom/son” things into a thing!

I think women sometimes are practically made to feel guilty they aren’t men if they have little boys, Since men are so unrepresented in little boys’ lives women can be undervalued since we are so commonplace and present (as mothers and care providers and teachers) .

Really? No idea? I could have a boy tomorrow and know what to do. Would that child be different from the one I have now? Yes, because they would be two different human beings.

Yes, obviously, there are differences between girls and boys, but you’re limiting your child if you only expose them to things that are “girl things” or “boy things.” Or only praise them for things that fit into their gender stereotype.

I work for a private K-12, and I gave a tour to two moms of boys the other day. As we walked into our art building one mom said, “This is a beautiful building, but we have boys, so they probably won’t be interested in art.” It took all of my power to respond with, “Your son may not be interested in art because he doesn’t like art, not because he’s a boy.”

I have an older brother, and my mom will be the first to tell you, I was the trouble maker. I was the one that got into things. I was the one my mom caught walking across the dining room table after she turned her back for just a minute, and the one who climbed the walls, and the one who routinely climbed out of her crib during nap time.

My doctor routinely commented on my bruised shins at check ups, and was glad to see I played constantly.

So yes, mom’s of girls understand kids who never stop moving and play hard. Just like moms of boys understand the sweet moments of cuddling and hugs.