Do Boys Develop at a Different Pace in Childhood?

Posted On: 10-14-2016

Raising any child involves a lot of hard work and dedication. Due to the differences in development between boys and girls, raising a boy involves a special knowledge and focus on his physical, social, emotional and cognitive development. In addition to love and support, it is important to understand what kind of direction he is likely to need during his childhood.

Physical Development

Boys typically develop gross motor skills faster than girls. This means that in the first few years of his life, your boy will likely enjoy learning to run, jump and climb at a fast pace. Accept his high activity level during this phase and provide him with plenty of open, safe spaces to explore his physical development. As he grows older, you can continue to foster his physical development by offering him plenty of opportunities for physical activity, like enrolling him in an extracurricular sport.

Emotional and Social Development

Although your boy is typically going to be busy fostering his physical development and skills, he is also more than capable of showing affection and developing emotionally. When you see his nurturing side emerge, which is a sign of maturing, encourage it. Ask him to identify and express his emotions and give him as much responsibility as is appropriate for his age to encourage social skills. For a toddler, this might mean something simple like feeding the family pet, but as he gets older he can take on more complicated responsibilities.

Cognitive Development

In some cases, boys can take a little longer than girls to start talking. You can encourage his vocabulary development by talking to him often and reading to him daily. Later in childhood, his tendency toward physical activity can cause him to fall behind with schoolwork. In addition to helping him focus academically, do your best to encourage his interests inside and outside of school so that he can excel in his pursuits.

Considerations

It is important to remember that every child is different, and you may not notice that your young boy develops at a different pace than a girl in the same family. If you have any questions about the timeline of your child’s development, speak to his doctor.

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