Could raising daughters be more stressful than raising sons?
A research study from the University of California, Berkeley suggests that raising daughters might be two times more stressful for mothers than raising sons.
Parents have synonymously been given the title of 'all-seeing,' but the mere thought of knowing it all is far from the truth for most in the parenting community.
A recent research study by the University of California, Berkeley, stated that mothering daughters is two times more stressful than raising sons. Researchers studied their subjects' cortisol (the stress hormone) levels and found that they were higher in mothers caring for girls.
According to Inside History: "The findings suggest that daughters often spark more emotionally intense interactions, not because they’re harder to parent, but due to the distinct ways the mother-daughter relationship functions. Importantly, the researchers emphasised that this isn’t about portraying daughters as more difficult."
There are apparent differences between parenting boys and girls based on their gender profiles, but this research study offers a different perspective to parents.
The research is said to "shed light on how emotional dynamics influence parenting stress, and how mothers may connect with daughters in deeper or more complex ways than with sons".
Many parenting experts have published books on considering gender when raising children. They take things such as hormonal and biological differences into account.
While all the experts have valid information to offer, Amanda Cassidy from Image put it into perspective saying: "I’ve two girls and a boy. I can see how I parent them differently — I need to.
I parent them all differently based on their personalities. I celebrate their differences and adjust my reactions accordingly."
The research is there to help us learn and grow as a society, but it doesn't mean that everything we do is set in stone, especially when parenting our kids.
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Image Courtesy of iStock