Boys are from Mars, Girls are from Venus

(With apologies to Dr John Gray, author of Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.)

Further to my post about differences between men and women particulary when they dine out in groups, I thought I'd post something similar about boys and girls.

I used to hear a lot about how different baby boys and baby girls are and baby girls are, generally, easier to look after as babies - they're less fussy, more mellow and not as active. So I decided to try and find out more about it.

Using a highly un-scientific survey method and a super-small sample size of 5, I set about asking people I know (and people I'd just met!) who have both boys and girls whether or not the myth is true.

Apparently, it is. Practically all 5 of my sample size responded with an enthusiastic, "Oh, yes. Very different. My daughter was no fuss at all, I nursed her until she was 2+years old. My son? I gave up after 3 months. Couldn't tahan. Wanted to comfort feed all the time."

With respect to how active they are, I decided to use another highly un-scientific method of personal observation. Generally, I notice that little toddler girls are less prone to climbing up and down their highchair compared to boys. When Daddy and I were in Sydney, we ate out for all our meals and we noticed the same thing. Girls were more content to sit in their highchair or stroller and not fidget as much or demand to be let out. Just give them something to play with or occupy their attention and you're good to go.

Our boys, on the other hand ... If we're out for a meal, we usually have to let them loose (even struggle if they're carried) until the food arrives. And even then, we let the food cool down a little until it's absolutely ready to be eaten. And then only we get them to sit down to eat. Otherwise, there's no way they'd sit still waiting for the food to arrive. Even colour pencils and activity books aren't enough (unless the restaurant supplies them).

Another difference - homework attitude! This was most apparent when we went to visit my auntie who normally has her grandchildren (2 girls and 1 boy) at her house in the daytime on weekdays. When we arrived, both girls were dilligently doing their homework. The boy was lying flat in front of the TV.

The girls didn't need to be pushed or hovered over to make sure they did their homework. They just did it on their own. And very neatly to! (One of them was using a ruler to write her capital "E".)

I asked my auntie, "Doesn't he have homework too?"

"Adaaaa... but he keeps pushing it to 'later'. In the end, I have to coax and even scold him," she told me.

My mom tried to engage him in the subject. "Do you have homework today?" she asked him.

"Yes." His eyes never left the TV.

"Can I see it?" My mom doesn't give up.

"Sure. Take la. It's in my school bag." His body was firmly rooted on the cushion in front of the TV.

Eventually she gave up.

Oh ya, a few months ago Abang tipped the coffee table over. There I was, just minding my own business, when suddenly I heard this loud "CRASH". I turned and there was the coffee table, on its top, legs pointing upwards and Abang with the most horrified look on his face feeling absolutely remorseful.

I decided that it would have been counterproductive to give him a good scolding because he already looked like he was about to burst into tears. So just a mild rebuke, ending with a "Don't do that again" but not before I went on about how lucky we all were that it didn't hit the TV cabinet doors which were made of glass. (The table landed about an inch away from the TV cabinet.)

Somehow I can't imagine a little three and a half year old girl doing that!