r/ParentsWithAI

I’ve got 3 boys. My friends and sister only have girls and I genuinely do feel like I’m having an entirely different experience to them, with my very daring boys. Keeping them alive is proving quite difficult.

However it feels really taboo to say nowadays, and it’s as though we’re moving towards only being allowed to talk about the biological differences between boys and girls when we’re empathising with parents of girls going through puberty.

Out of curiosity I had a quick look at the stats and apparently research consistently finds:

- By around age 2–3, boys experience more injuries requiring medical attention than girls, and the gap widens through childhood.

On average, boys are more likely to:

- Break bones.
- Sustain head injuries.
- Visit A&E for accidental injuries.
- Be admitted to hospital following accidents.
- Die from accidental injuries (although thankfully this is still rare).

Depending on the type of injury, boys have about 1.3 to 2 times the risk of girls.

When it comes to the why, researchers think it’s a combination of a few factors:

1. Higher activity levels (strong evidence)

Even in toddlerhood, boys, on average:

- Spend more time in vigorous physical activity.
- Climb higher.
- Run faster.
- Choose rough-and-tumble play more often.

This naturally creates more opportunities for falls and collisions.

2. Risk-taking temperament (good evidence)

On average, boys score slightly higher on:

- Sensation seeking.
- Impulsivity.
- Willingness to try uncertain activities

I also read that some major differences appear before much socialisation has even happened.

Researchers have found that, on average:

-Baby boys are slightly more physically active.
- Boys spend longer looking at moving objects.
- Boys engage in more rough-and-tumble play from around 18–24 months.

And hormones such as testosterone likely contribute to these average tendencies, although environment shapes how they develop.

I’m not putting my children into a box, or yours, but I’d like to be able to have a scientifically backed moan every now and then, that’s all. Why has it became such a touchy subject recently?

My husband and I have different opinions/mindset on multiple things, like I want our daughter to keep going to school and he wants to homeschool her after a certain age, and I know both our intents are good, we just don't land in the same place. It's the kind of thing where neither of us is wrong exactly, we were raised differentlly.

How do you handle parenting differences? How do you make the best decision without either of you just giving in to keep the peace?

went back to work when my kid was 1.5 years old with multiple plans on baby meals. tried batch-cooking purees, freezing them in ice cube trays, colour-coded, but I couldn't sustain it longer.

now her lunch is whatever we're having, cut smaller or mashed a bit scrambled egg with soft toast fingers and avocado or roasted sweet potato she can hold in her fist, and full-fat yoghurt with mashed banana on the days I'm running late.

For the working mums how do you manage baby meals? What did your baby actually eat for lunch?

Right… I think I’ve managed to dodge the Roblox bullet for years, despite my daughter asking me every few months if she can have it. I’ve always kicked the can down the road with, “Maybe when you’re a bit older.”

Tonight, during our usual bedtime chat, she asked again. Then she completely broke down.
She said she’s fed up with being left out because all her friends talk about Roblox at school. The bit that really got me was when she told me she’d once pretended she’d had Roblox but that her parents had taken it away, just so she could be part of the conversation. Honestly, it broke my heart.

I still don’t feel comfortable letting her have Roblox.
Has anyone else dealt with this? What did you do?

Currently I see many kids of my son's age have a tablet in their hand while eating, on a plane, at a restaurant, it's everywhere now.

my kids are still young, but i know the challenge is coming, keeping them away from screens while their friends at school have tablet and access to everything. i can hold the line at home, but i worry they'll feel left out when everyone else is glued to a screen and they're not.

i think that's going to be one of the biggest challenges parents face in the next few years.

how do you keep your kids away from screens? do your kid use your tablet, phone?

my 3yo does exactly opposite of what I say. she enjoys when I scream at her. Throws all the pillows when I am looking just to see me get angry. Otherwise when I am doing work & not looking at her she sits Quietly & enjoys the nature from the balcony.

Is she ragebaiting me & enjoying? does your kid also does this same?

My niece's birthday is next month, and I am looking to get her something useful. She's into soft toys, plushies. she already have multiple of those. what do I gift her that she likes it & also use on daily basis?

I'm looking for something that can help in her growth & can play with it on daily basis as well. her parents insisted on giving her no more toys, as all her last birthday gifts are in cupboards by now.

whats the best birthday gift you've given to a kid. that they genuinely loved? what should I get her?

my neighbour and i had our babies in the same month, so we share a good bond, share tips. last week i got back to work. she's decided to stay home and pick up something part-time instead.

i don't have that luxury to stay home and pick something part time.

mothers who left good careers to stay home or go part time after having a baby, how's it actually going a year or two in? especially financially.

we were crossing the car park yesterday and he did it mid park while I was talking to someone else, didn't break his pace or mine, just folded his hand into mine and carried on. I didn't even notice until we were nearly at the car and looked down to see he'd been holding on the whole way.

it's such a small, cute thing, so wholesome. what is such a moment for you?

This is hard for adults, i can only imagine how the kids are feeling, my little one hasn't slept properly all week because of the heat and she's stopped being herself entirely. She's normally fairly reasonable and playful, but this week she's had full meltdowns, refused every meal except ice lollies and cucumber sticks, and by evening each day was hitting her brother for no reason at all. I know it's the heat and i know she's not sleeping, but i've never seen her this unregulated before.

I've kept her inside during the afternoons, run a fan on her at bedtime, and pushed water at her every hour even when she doesn't want it.

What got your child sleeping through it? I'm worreid of her getting sick.

Trying to figure out the best time to put her into nursery and could use some actual input

She's 3, talks constantly, plays fine with other kids, but hasn't really spent a full day away from family before.

For those who've done this at different ages: what's the best age? when did you put your kids into nursery/playschool?

Mine has gotten into the habit of putting a blanket over the dog and whispering "night night" before tiptoeing away. its so adorable.

Want to hear what yours got up to.

My son was such a confident eater at 10 months. Then the teething started and he just shut down. Wouldn't touch a thing for weeks.

He wouldn't eat what was on his own plate, but he'd try to grab from ours. Wouldn't really eat any of it though. Threw more than he actually ate.

Did your kid go through this phase too? What did you do to get him the proper nutrition he needed?

We had a new neighbour. one weekend they knocked on the door in the morning. Said our two-year-old was too loud.

I apologised. Still don't know why. Been thinking about it ever since.

Has a neighbour, a hotel ever complained about your kid being a kid? What did you actually say back, or how did you react?

Don't drink it. don't lick it. hold it up. just blow, don't throw it. not at me. don't lick it off the floor.

I've been saying these phrases like 100 times a day. it gets exhausting for a parent to repeat on a daily basis. I know that this is normal but its still tiring right.

what's the thing for you? what makes you exhausted after taking care of your baby on a daily basis.

I finish work at 5:30. then pick up kid by 6. They need to eat by 7:30 By that point I have nothing left. The thing I planned to cook requires 40 minutes and some kind of executive function. Neither is available.

husband recommends batch cooking on Sundays. I've tried. It lasts about two days & that too not fresh and we're back to whatever's fastest.

What's actually working in your house?

i made a beautiful banana-PB pancake with blueberries. she mashed it into her hair.

This is nothing Its becoming her habit these days. i've started keeping a mental tally. the pancake was exposure 47. exposure 31 was a waffle cut into shapes. she licked one, put it back on the plate, and looked at me & started giggling.

for parents who've cracked the code on a genuinely picky eater what actually worked?

Our kids' grandma would come over just to drop off things at late night. my kids are almost asleep. one excited grandma voice & yeah that's it. they get up.

we didn't get her down until 11:45 and nan left thinking she'd had a lovely little visit.

What's the most chaos a grandparent or babysitter has casually introduced into your sleep routine with complete innocence and zero awareness of the consequences?