The Joys of Raising Boys

Christine D’Amico, of San Diego, is a mother of three children and the author of The Pregnant Woman's Companion. During her first pregnancy she thought she was going to have a girl. After a very long labor, she was thrilled when she discovered that she had a little boy. “He was out, alive, and we had a healthy baby,” says D’Amico. “I had no regret that he wasn’t a girl.”

After having two boys, D’Amico wanted to have one more child and thought it would be great to have a girl. “It seemed like a plus to have a girl because we would get to experience something new. It would also be a plus to have another boy because we knew a lot about caring for boys, and for me, there is something cool about raising a bunch of boys–you get to be the queen of the house, and boys can really love their moms!”

D’Amico’s third baby is a daughter, and she notes some differences between the sexes already, even though Francesca is just one year old. “She is more sensitive to pain than her brothers were. She wails away when a new tooth comes in, and the boys would never cry when they got a new tooth.” D’Amico says Francesca seems to be much more demanding than her sons were but thinks that might simply be due to the fact that she is now raising three children.

Differences in Boy-Girl Temperaments

Vivian Mauro, of Tampa, Florida, is a mother of three children ages four, three and one. Mauro says her middle child—her three-year-old boy—is “restless, disobedient and clingy,” among other things, while her older daughter tends to be calm, cooperative and independent. “If it stopped there, I’d tell you there is a huge difference between boys and girls, but now that my youngest daughter is growing up, I’m not so sure.” Mauro says her youngest—the most active of all three—is a climber who gets into everything and will probably prove to be the most mischievous of her children. “Each child is so different, it’s difficult to say which gender is easier.” When it comes to personality, clearly there’s more at work than boy or girl.

Carla Mowry, of Omaha, Nebraska, is the mother of three sons and says that raising her boys has been rather easy. “I think raising kids in general isn’t as hard as people make it out to be,” says Mowry. “All it involves is time, knowing each child as a person, and being secure in what you want and expect.” Embrace the gifts parenthood has to offer, whether you’re raising a prima ballerina or an all-star quarterback.