JFF Who Is Harder to Raise?

I have two of each, and for me it went like this: The boys were tougher prior to school age. The girls were tougher as teens. I'd rather fight through the tough early years than a beligerant teen aged girl. But yet, I would not want to give up the closeness of an adult daughter, either.

My boys require more physical energy from me chasing them around and keeping them safe. My girl required more mental energy as she is always around and talking and asking questions. In the grand scheme I would say my boys because if we are home and they can't get into to much they pretty much do their own thing. DD is always needing something.

We just got to age 6, but here's what I've heard:
Boys are harder during the toddler - elementary school ages.
Girls are harder from middle through high school.

Husbands. HA HA HA

Seriously(?) umm.. I think they are even (so far). I understand boys are harder when they are younger, but things even out as they go through the teenage years. I have one of both, and so far, I'm thinking that is the way we are headed. My son is 14, daughter is 11. She is starting to get more challenging, and he is getting a little easier.

I've got three sons and a step-daughter. They're all challenging in their own ways (except my youngest, who I consider God's gift to me for managing the other three). I find that boys have more "issues" with developmental delays and school problems. If you have a boy, you are much more likely to deal with speech delays, learning disabilities, ADHD and the Autism spectrum. Not to say that these don't affect girls, or that girls may not be under-diagnosed and boys over-diagnosed, but I think that in terms of acclimating boys to societal standards in general and school in particular, those things are a better fit for the way many girls are wired. So the difficulty with boys, IMO, comes from this very weird place in society that we're at right now where some traits that are stereotypically male seem to have lost value in society and where being "all boy" equates to "all trouble" in the eyes of many. It also seems that many young men no longer have a place in the world to find fulfilling, steady work in a field that doesn't require a college degree and not everyone is college-bound.

My experience with my SD is atypical in that she was in an abusive home with her mother so she's overly compliant and doesn't push back much, but my girl-mom friends certainly seem to have their hands full with their daughters and the drama and mind games. That said, most girls I know do seem on the path to successful lives - most I know are good students and active in activities, community service and leadership and seem to gravitate towards that on their own. By contrast, most of the boys I know would rather play x-Box and eat pizza all day than organize a toy drive. Many of them seem a lot less ambitious than their female peers, so it will be interesting to see them 5 years from now and see who is succeed in college and who is living in the basement.

At the end of the day, I'd take boys over girls but that's probably more my boy-mom bias than anything else.

I had a daughter and a son.
My son was definitely easier. By easier, I mean that he has a much more calm temperament and he just kind of goes with the flow. He's not "high maintenance" in any sense of the word.

I was raised in a family of girls and I was afraid to have a son.
It all just came so naturally and he is definitely my mellow kid.
He's awesome.

Both my boys were super easy, so I have to vote GIRLS.
I know I was a brat :)

My son (first born) has been by far easier than my two girls.
They are now 19, 16 and 13.
Not at all what I expected :(

I don't know... but boy I'm nervous now! I only have one DD, and she has been SUCH A HANDFUL so far... and everyone is saying that they get harder when they get older... ;) lol.

I have 3 girls and 1 boy. My boy is by far the easiest SO FAR.

I have a son (30) and two daughters (27 & 10). The hardest was my oldest daughter and the easiest is my youngest daughter. I don't think this is gender based, I think it is personality based.

It has always been my perception that boys are harder when they are young but then the paradigm shifts and girls become exponentially harder during the teen years. We shall see....

I agree with Robin R. Boys are harder when they're younger, but girls are harder as they become teens.

So far my son was a much easier baby then my daughter has been. He was very low maintaince where my daughter needs constant attention and holding. Now since he's about 5 1/2 years older then her and is bipolar well I'll have to see how that plays out.

Girls are easier when they are young; harder when they are teens. Boys are harder when they are young; easier when they are teens although my stepson is giving us a run for our money (always has though).

As a high school teacher, I would much rather have a whole class full of boys than girls. I love the girls, too, but they are so emotional and chatty.

I don't know about the younger ones.

Personally, my boys have been a piece of cake. I hope I didn't just jinx myself! ;)

35 year old men.............oh, you mean children!!!! So far my son. My son is 5.5 and my daughter is 2.5. My son is extremely active - as if he has a motor that won't shut off!!!

I have found that when they are little boys are harder but when they become teens girls are soooo much harder! As adults I see little difference.

I really think this depends on the child and what you can handle. My older daughter is full of drama, always has been. But my son is non stop action until he falls asleep. Both can be hard at times. I know people with difficult girls and some with difficult boys. I guess it depends on your cup of tea.

I think children no matter what gender or age are difficult at times.
My oldest son was a prince when he was little so laid back, quiet, sweet, a good listener most of the time. Now he is 14 and been a terror for a few years now, probably the hormones mixed in with everything else...
He fooled me into having my second cause I thought shoot this is easy! My second came out and at 6 months became a non-stop tazmainian devil! he goes from the time he wakes up till his head hits the pillow! He is exhausting! He is also loveable, smart, fun to be around, life of the party type, thoughtful, selfless most of the time. He is still only 8 but I'm sure the hormones will start to rear at 10 but not sure how he will handle it...TBA
Since the second was so much work I hesitated to have a third, but my princess came along anyway, and she has the personality of my second cut by half, she is not always as active as he is, but she is up there and has the attention span of a nat even though she is 2 years old, she is much more stubborn than the boys were at two, but I was able to learn a thing or two from raising two todders so all the mistakes that I made with them I have corrected with her! so that is a great thing. I have a feeling she will be consistently the most difficult thoughout since she is the baby and my only girl!
So good luck trying to figure this one out cause I say they all are difficult in some way or the other, even if they are well behaved its still difficult to raise them in this world because you always worry and want to protect them!

I have two daughters, and my first little boy will be arriving in December. My daughters are 8 and 5. Honestly, they have been SO easy, it's been a dream. They were wonderful babies, slept all night from only weeks old, they are independent and respectful, kind and loving, affectionate and compassionate people. Their teachers and nannies absolutely pour out praises about my children, how well-behaved they are, etc. I have had it SO easy. But... my eight-year-old has been developing this attitude for the past year. It's like my sweet angel has turned bipolar on me all of the sudden. LOL! She's usually her normal sweet self, but every now and then, we get this demon-seed child. So I hear that that's the way it is with girls, you get the trouble later. Sigh...

My Mom had two boys and a girl (me). She said I was her dream, easy as pie. Never gave her a lick of trouble. My brothers gave her so much stress, she can't understand why she didn't die of a heart attack years ago. LOL!

I have boys. I think girls are harder, just judging by the kids I work with in the child care and at the school. The girls always seem to have some drama going on, crying over nothing or fighting with their friends. It is exhausting dealing with that nonsense!