If you have one of each in your family, you’ll become aware of their behavioral differences once they reach the toddler years and become more independent.
Boys and girls throw tantrums differently, play differently and express themselves in different ways, it’s just they way things are when nature starts to take over from nurture. Research has shown that boys’ and girls’ brains are wired differently. Your little girl will be able to talk about her feelings and empathise with others more so than your little boy and she’ll also be more sensitive to your tone of voice. When it comes to discipline, this may mean that your son isn’t as sensitive to other people’s feelings and may not respond when you ask him nicely to stop bad behavior! They will also react differently to stress. In practice this means that your little girl will be more likely to back down in a confrontation, while your little boy will experience a surge of testosterone that could have him acting up and hitting out.

So once they reach the age where their behavior is different, what discipline techniques will work best with them?



Discipline for girls
1. Be positive Your little girl is more likely to co-operate with you on discipline issues if she thinks there is a payoff at the end of it, because she’s more patient than her brother and more likely to hang on for her reward. So if she’s pestering you for candy while you’re at the supermarket, try telling her that she can have some once you’re home and she has had her lunch.

2. Encourage her to empathize Girls tend to be more considerate when it comes to your feelings and those of their siblings or playmates. If she is acting up, explain to her that her behavior is making her little brother sad but that if she’s good and stops being nasty he’ll feel happy again.

3. Talk it out Your little girl’s language skills will likely be much further along than those of boys her age. Girls progress faster than boys when it comes to being able to string words together and this means they are able to form longer and more complex sentences. Tap in to this skill by asking her to explain what is causing her bad behavior instead of throwing a tantrum.

4. Point out the consequences Girls are more likely to worry about what other children think of them and you can use this to your advantage if, for example, she isn’t sharing or playing nicely. Point out that her siblings or friends may not want to play with her if she doesn’t share.


Discipline for boys
1. Set limits but allow him some freedom Your little boy may play games that seem rough but you need to allow him some freedom – within reason. Play wrestling is developmentally normal, so you should avoid inhibiting your son if he plays in this way. Just stay close by and set limits that ensure your child isn’t hurting a sibling or playmate.

2. Help him find his words Boy aren’t as good as girls are at expressing themselves verbally – and the result is that they often express their frustration physically, by biting and hitting. Teach your son the words he needs to say how he feels: “I’m cross because Jack took my toy”, and constantly remind him that he can tell you without having to be aggressive.

3. Be direct Boys tend not to be so concerned about what others think of them, and this means they’re more likely to be confrontational. If your little boy’s behavior crosses the line, don’t try to get him to empathise with your feelings or his sister’s – nip it in the bud immediately with a time-out or withdrawal of privileges.

4. Limit his TV exposure Toddlers are very influenced by the cartoon violence they may see on TV. Those superhero games may seem harmless but flying fists and feet can cause injuries.