Every so often I realize again just how different boys are from girls. The smallest thing can trigger this realization, but when it hits, it hits hard. I was one of six children, three boys and three girls. I have four children, two boys and two girls. Therefore, I have had ample time over the course of my life to compare the two genders. At times, is it possible that I make sweeping generalizations or stereotype? Of course. Stereotypes were born because they fairly accurately described a large group of people and the fact is, most stereotypes describing boys are absolutely dead on. Without further ado, then, five more ways boys are different from girls.

1. They eat more. It’s just true. I watched three teenage brothers eat like the world was ending on a daily basis and I watch my own boys do the same. I don’t know where they put it; I just know I’m amazed by their capacity to inhale it.

2. They are more physical. There are some very physical girls, but on the whole, boys use their bodies more. They use them more in play and in conflict resolution. Anyone who doubts this need just spend the day with a little boy and then with a little girl. It is likely that one will physically exhaust you and one, well, not as much!

3. Boys break things. Moms of boys get tired of hearing moms of girls say things like, “In our house we don’t let our children run/jump/throw things/break things.” Well, in my house we don’t let our sons do those things either. That doesn’t mean they don’t do them! Which leads to

4. Boys are often more willing to risk a consequence to do what they want to do. Whether that is linked to poor impulse control, heightened curiosity, a devil-may-care attitude, or something else, boys don’t seem to mind punishments as much as their sisters do. Finding your son’s currency can often be one of the preeminent challenges of parenting a boy.

5. Boys don’t look before they leap. This is both metaphorically true and literally true. Every mother of a boy can tell a story of watching her son running at full speed into a wall while looking over his shoulder. Stories of boys doing things like jumping off the roof are also legion. When mothers ask their sons why they would do such a thing only to be met with, “I don’t know,” the answer is often quite accurate! Somewhere between the thought and the action, the decision-making process is completely short-circuited!

Like I said, not all boys are the same, but most boys are more alike than different. Their impulsivity, physicality, and appetite for life are just a few of the things that make boys an ineffable delight to their tireless mothers.