The preference for boys, the authors find, seems to be largely driven by fathers. At least since 1941, men have told pollsters by more than a two-to-one margin that they would rather have a boy. Women have only a slight preference for daughters.
Statistically speaking, daughters win the day, but sons win dad by a nose. These findings are somewhat surprising, given the prevailing theory that preference for sons or daughters is based less on the sex of the parents than on their socioeconomic status.
WASHINGTON — Fathers with toddler daughters are more attentive and responsive to those daughters' needs than fathers with toddler sons are to the needs of those sons, according to brain scans and recordings of the parents' daily interactions with their kids.
We found that dads with daughters were more likely to sing to them, to respond to them if they cried out, and to talk with them about sad feelings and about the body. Dads with sons were more likely to do rough-and-tumble play and to talk about achievements.
In fact, men have told the National Bureau of Economic pollsters that they would rather have a boy by more than a two-to-one margin whereas women have only a slight preference for daughters. Why do men want sons?
Common wisdom is that the preference for sons is motivated by economic, religious, social and emotional desires and norms that favor males and make females less desirable: Parents expect sons—but not daughters—to provide financial and emotional care, especially in their old age; sons add to family wealth and property ...
It is often assumed that parents have no preference because they tell everyone they just want a healthy child, no matter the gender, but that simply is not true. Men want male children as a legacy play. They can carry on their legacy if their sons father children – hopefully at least one male child - and so on.
Whilst parents may not intend to treat sons and daughters differently, research shows that they do. Sons appear to get preferential treatment in that they receive more helpful praise, more time is invested in them, and their abilities are often thought of in higher regard.
“Fathers tend to bring up girls and boys differently,” he explains. “Often they will be more protective and supportive of their daughters while they are more likely to try and teach their sons a lesson rather than talk about their emotions.
Angelina Grigoryeva, a doctoral candidate in sociology, told Healthline that daughters provide elderly parents with an average of 12.3 hours of care per month. Sons give less than half that with only 5.6 hours.
"A father is a son's first hero and a daughter's first love." "The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."
Even if you don't fully recognize it, research indicates that there's a good chance that you actually do have a favorite. In fact, one study published in the Journal of Family Psychology found 74% of moms and 70% of dads reported preferential treatment toward one child.
Daughters naturally crave connection with their fathers, and they especially cherish emotional and physical affection from their fathers. In fact, according to Meg Meeker's research, when girls and dads have a stronger connection, daughters do better in life on a number of different levels.
Kids generally describe their moms as more positive and less reactive. Kids generally feel they get in more trouble with their dads. Because kids have more contact with their moms, they know their moms better and rely on them for support.
Far from being competition, fathers tend to have an emotional effect on daughters, which helps build their character and decision making abilities later in life. Dad will make her feel pretty and special, and this is why they share a stronger bond.
Indeed, research suggests that fathering daughters changes men's gender attitudes but there is little evidence of change in mothers' attitudes. Among previously-childless men, the birth of a daughter causes a larger shift toward more progressive gender ideology than does the birth of a son (Shafer and Malhotra 2011).
Dads have a God-given instinct to protect.
Every healthy father has a deep desire to protect his little girl from harm. It's not because he doesn't think she can take care of herself, or that he thinks girls are less capable than boys.
Andrews found that men often favor women who resemble their mother when choosing mates. Similarly, the study showed that women prefer male faces that resemble their fathers. These findings were later reported in a 2002 New Scientist magazine article titled “Like Father Like Husband."
Most parents have a favourite child, and it's probably the eldest, according to researchers. A study conducted at the University of California shows that out of 768 parents surveyed, 70 per cent of mothers and 74 per cent of fathers admitted to having a favourite child.
Being physically attractive at age 7 increases the odds of having a daughter by 23% or decreases the odds of having a son by 19%. Similarly, net of the same control variables, being physically unattractive at age 7 decreases the odds of having a daughter by 20% or increases the odds of having a son by 25%.
Younger adults, and those with less education, are more inclined toward boys, but the main distinction is between men and women. Women are split — 31 percent want a girl, 30 percent a boy — but 43 percent of men prefer a son, to 24 percent who prefer a daughter.
While cases vary across parents, a survey of more than 2,000 moms showed that parents of 12- to 14-year-old teens had a harder time than parents of toddlers, elementary school children, high school children, and adult children.
Clinginess is a natural reaction for children experiencing separation anxiety, or fear of being separated from a person they trust. Separation anxiety tends to be strongest from ages 9 to 18 months and usually improves by the time a child is 3. These stages correspond to phases of young child development.
They express and build trust and hence are good communicators. Moms encourage their sons to express their feelings and are quite patient to them. Compared to dads, moms are usually soft-spoken and good listeners. Moms not only nurture their children but they also take care of their homeworks, playtime and other things.
Researchers concluded that two girls are unlikely to fight, will play nicely together, rarely annoy their parents and tend not to wind each other up. Scientists also claimed that they also make little noise, seldom ignore each other and are more likely to confide in their mother or father.