The Difference Between Girls and Boys in ECD Essay Example

Introduction

It is fundamental to note that children undergo development differently depending on the gender they have. There is great variation amongst the boys and girls than there is between them. Each child is unique and will tend to develop at a different pace. However, the bottom line remains intact: there is a difference between boys and girls in their early childhood development stages. Every child in his/her uniqueness is different from another, but even more because of their gender differences, there is a high probability that they are all different from each other. There is a significant difference in the early childhood development of boys and girls.

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Gender identity

It is only after a period of nearly three years that toddlers come to the knowledge of knowing their gender. However, they live in the present, and most of the time they fail to realize that their gender will be the same even when they grow up into youths and even fully grownups. Within less than three years, the toddlers will choose the kind of the toy to play around with and that they choose those types that they enjoy the most (van der Put et al., 2015). To them, it doesn't matter whether is a toy lorry, or it is a doll, they all look the same and make no difference at all. In as much as it is difficult to avoid exposing toddlers to gender stereotypes, it is still controllable. Children naturally start to choose the kind of toys they think the most appropriate for them around 3-4 years of age. Normally it is at this age that children start preferring the kinds of friends they can play around with especially those of the same gender. At this stage also, they become choosy especially in choosing the toys that they think are appropriate for their gender; this helps them fit in with their friends of preferences. There is a clear dividing line between boys and girls. As toddlers, they have a firm conviction of how boys and girls should carry out themselves and behave and what types of toys they should play around with. Because as children, they see things in black and white, it strongly applies to gender more than anything else.

Physical activity

In general, boys are more restless and active than the girls; it is a small difference though. It is evident that boys are slightly, and more likely to show their anger whenever they get frustrated than girls. Boys will be more active at any given time than girls. On average, baby boys will be more playful and will even demand more playing from their fellow girl child even despite their tiredness (Valentine, 2015). This is how it ends up making boys more demanding than girls in every activity they would engage in. Very few instances you will find girls demanding more than the boys.

Brain structure

There is a difference in the brain structure of boys and girls as evident in their learning capabilities. According to Baron (2014), the neural cable joining the two brain hemispheres is much thicker in girls than it is in boys. This one best explains why girls are better at grasping things first and using them together in the cognitive process. The researcher also added that the part of the brain that is responsible for stimulation of emotions is more extensive and greater in boys and this explains why boys are more aggressive than girls. On a live comparison, boy have an aggressive behavior compared to girls.

Social development

Another remarkable accomplishment in childhood is social competencies. Research shows that the development of problem-solving behaviors and social skills are different most of the time. While girls are more probable to hold academic competence higher social skills and, boys have problems in their behaviors. Even though children advances towards more communally oriented and skillful play forms during early childhood, girls have a higher probability of developing social and structural forms of play at tender ages than boys (Endendijk et al., 2017)

In their early childhood, boys and girls learn different things differently. Most of these differences between the two group of children usually are evident from the point of their young age. Additionally, most of the time it is carried over to the next stage of life or change along the way depending on the circumstances of life and the overall commitment of the grown-up child to becoming effective in all areas and spheres of life. Apparently, early childhood education forms a foundation for the development of children into successful members of society. Therefore, it is recommendable that the educators prioritize in knowing the way the young children learn and not necessarily the content they have for them. Knowing this simple rule will enable educators and any person in understanding and knowing the sole reason and essence of the boy and a girl. Having the background knowledge of how a boy and a girl are made, it will help you handle them regarding their characteristics and overall behavior.

References

Baron, A. S., Schmader, T., Cvencek, D., & Meltzoff, A. N. (2014). The gendered self-concept: How implicit gender stereotypes and attitudes shape self-definition. Gender and development, 109-132.

Endendijk, J. J., Groeneveld, M. G., van der Pol, L. D., van Berkel, S. R., HallersHaalboom, E. T., BakermansKranenburg, M. J., & Mesman, J. (2017). Gender differences in child aggression: Relations with genderdifferentiated parenting and parents' genderrole stereotypes. Child development, 88(1), 299-316.

Valentine, C. W. (2015). The psychology of early childhood: A study of mental development in the first years of life. Routledge.

Van der Put, C. E., Lanctot, N., De Ruiter, C., & Van Vugt, E. (2015). Child maltreatment among boy and girl probationers: Does the type of maltreatment make a difference in offending behavior and psychosocial problems? Child abuse & neglect, 46, 142-151.