We all know this is an age old arguement. Commonly amongst girls and boys, women and men: why men are superior; why women are stronger; why men can’t compare to women; why women could never rule the world; why girls have lurgies; why boys smell…From Primary School all the way through life, there is a life long arguement of which sex is superior and as long as boys keep crying about a common cold as if it’s the plague whilst then stating that “labour can’t be that bad”, I just don’t see that changing!

But until you’re about to be a mum, this has never been as important as it is now! Wondering which sex you would prefer, followed by the reasons why. For me, I couldn’t actually decide as I’ve figured both come with their pro’s and cons. Finding out I’m having a little girl filled me with excitement but also with dread. The poem below forgot to mention all the lil bits in between. I’m not a bad person but here is my reasoning for and against both:

What are little boys made of?

What are little boys made of?

snakes and snails

And puppy-dogs’ tails,

That’s what little boys are made of.

What are little girls made of?

What are little girls made of?

Sugar and spice

And everything nice,

That’s what little girls are made of

Girls

• Clothes – not as much as it used to be, but girls clothes are just cuter than boys… It’s much more fun shopping for girls than it is boys and that generally doesn’t change… Until they want you to stop shopping for them and decide it’s absoloutely acceptable to leave the house with nothing but a mini skirt, high heels and flimsy top on. This just makes me want to hide all magazines, TV, friends and anything else media related from my daughter and she isn’t even born yet.
• Nappy changing – I do believe baby girls are the easier sex to change nappies for. Less nooks and crainnies to get messed up in the shitting process.
• Share your love of shopping – Girls shop. And if you’re girl doesn’t, in time you know she will. When she starts caring how she looks, and gets to the stage where she isn’t quite a teen but no longer trying to be cute… You will shop together. And she will love it. Until it is no longer “cool” to be seen shopping with her mum. And your taste in clothes she should wear no longer match the ideas of what she wants to be wearing. This is where the fun ends and the arguements start. When you become the unreasonable, fun ruining mum.
• Emotions – these can be pretty much avoided until secondary school. And then you have to deal with their emotions… while they fully believe you could NEVER possibly understand how they feel. Because you are completely ancient, were never their age and obviously didn’t go through the same thing. Ever. And your advice just doesn’t make it better. So while they convince themself they hate you for not caring or understanding enough, you convince yourself you’re failing and feel completely crap about not being able to take their adolescent hurt away.
• Heartbreak – Ditto the above. It’s something you wish they could avoid, that they could just learn from your mistakes and never have to experience it. You hope that they will fall in love straight away, do well in life, get married, have a family and be happy forever. This is your dream for them. But of course when the first, second and third guy breaks their heart – it’s your fault for not letting them out later, dress cooler or just not understanding at all.
• Teen years – in general. Puberty = raging hormones; periods complete with PMS and explaining different ways of dealing with it; sex – do you discuss it or not and to what extent; bad skin; weight issues; hair issues; boy issues;  life issues; parent issues; money issues; money in general… Looking back on my teenage years, I genuinely feel sorry for my mum. And for myself in about 12 years. God help me!!

Boys

• Clothes – On the plus side, if you don’t find boys clothes as cute you’re like to spend less money while your lil boy is young as everything is pretty similiar. It’s once again as they get older, they have a tendency to have more growth spurts than girls at a quicker pace meaning you make up for the money not spent when they was younger as they need a new wardrobe every six months.
• Nappy changing – Having been around babies of both sexes, I find boys the harder lot to change. They just have cracks and creases everywhere. I feel horrible for having to move bits about just to get them clean and I find it stressful. Plus, every now and then one cheeky lil man wants to piss in your face and I’d rather some soap and water if we’re being honest.
• Emotions – tricky with boys. While they’re young, you teach them to be a bit braver, a bit stronger, but trying to get the right balance so they’re not completely hardy. Then they get older, quieter and more blase and you never know what is going on. Getting more than a grunt, something sport related or food related out of them is near impossible. And then you ask them to turn down their music, or tell them they can’t get their eyebrow pierced yet and they “hate” you. You just can’t win.
• Girls – the worry it brings when they realise what a girl can be to them (O_o). Then the worry about the type of girl they bring home. Or them bringing home someone pregnant too young. Or them getting their heartbroken and then having NO idea how to handle that at all because you don’t know what it feels like for a guy who always tries to hide their feelings. How to teach them about safe sex if there is no father figure to help out. How to try and prevent any sex at all for as long as possible. And then the all important, teaching them how to be a gentleman, how to respect women whilst ensuring they don’t get taken for a ride in the process. When did it all get so complicated?!
• Teen years – in general. Puberty = moodiness; loud music; bad smells; bad manners; crazy trends; drug and gang worries; body image issues; girl issues; ego issues; money issues; parent issues; life issues; general discontent. Unless you’re lucky and get one of the good ones who treat their mum like the best thing ever regardless of anything else in their life. If I have a boy, that is the one I hope for!
• Food – boys just eat too much. You need to shop about 6x as much when you have boy children as you do for girl children. They eat, their friends eat and an hour later – they’re all hungry again. They don’t chew or taste anything, just swallow it whole and mutter some type of appreciation. They expect good home cooked food, that can be eaten in 5 minutes even though we had to slave for 2 hours to cook it. But we are the unfair ones!!

Related articles

• Boy or Girl? (and the opinions of everyone else) (arealmummydiary.wordpress.com)
• A Father’s Insight (mypostpartumvoice.com)
• Snips and Snails or Sugar and Spice? Just what are Consultants Made of? (quitecloudy.wordpress.com)