Gender Differences

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".... There's very little solid evidence of gender-based differences in kids' brains," reports Lise Eliot, author of Pink Brain, Blue Brain (Boston: Houghton-Mifflin, 2009), in Work & Family Life (December 2009). "To be sure, there are natural differences. But these become magnified through our parenting, marketing, and especially through children's own culture. Indeed, infant brains are so malleable that small differences at birth become amplified over time as parents, teachers, and the culture unwittingly encourages gender stereotypes."

Eliot does, in fact, discuss differences that do exist in the earliest years...

"Early in infancy, boys are a bit larger but, surprisingly, are more vulnerable than girls. They are more likely to be fussier, harder to soothe, and, by three or four months of age, less socially attuned. Boys' senses of touch, smell, and hearing are likely to be a little less acute than girls' — and their language, memory, and fine motor skills also lag during the first year of life.

"Where boys do tend to excel is in their gross motor development — sitting, standing, and walking at the same ages as girls, despite their slower maturation. While girls are easier to care for and more socially aware, they typically do not get as much encouragement as boys do for their physical development and emotional independence — two concerns that become pronounced later in childhood but can be addressed in infancy. The earlier parents are aware of the particular needs of boys and girls, as well as the power of gender stereotyping, the better chance they will have to help kids reach their full potential."

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DEACONESS call to parents:

In our experience, gained working with thousands of children and parents over the last 112 years, some children will fit the desciptions in this article and some will not. Please comment and tell us about your experiences as you've watched your child(ren) move through their developmental stages and the things you've noticed. We love to hear from you.