"raising boys is easier"

[kalmn]

i've heard a lot of people say this.

i have theories on why they say this, mostly involving the patriarchy and acceptance of same, but i'd be interested to hear other people's reasons or theories.

there may be a rant coming up. you may be quoted. you have been warned.

Comments

[mrissa.livejournal.com]

There is absolutely an extent to which parenting and other forms of caregiving make a difference in how easy children are to deal with.

There is also an extent to which individual children vary considerably from genetics and various degrees of environment not under direct control of their parents, and some of the things I'm thinking of are definitely under that latter category. And particularly as someone who has not (yet--I hope the word yet is relevant here, but it might not turn out to be) gotten to be a parent, I am reluctant to say anything that might sound like, "If you'd done it right, they'd have been much easier to deal with," when in fact the parent in question might have done everything possible and just had a more inherently difficult child or situation.