Which gender develops faster

Female sex hormones may also play a role in shaping brain development, but their function is currently not well understood. Sex differences in the brain are reflected in the somewhat different developmental timetables of girls and boys.

By most measures of sensory and cognitive development, girls are slightly more advanced: vision, hearing, memory, smell, and touch are all more acute in female than male infants. Boys eventually catch up in many of these areas. By age three, they tend to out-perform girls in one cognitive area: visual-spatial integration, which is involved in navigation, assembling jigsaw puzzles, and certain types of hand-eye coordination.

It is important to emphasize that these findings describe only the average differences between boys and girls. While it can be helpful for parents and teachers to understand the different tendencies of the two sexes, we should not expect all children to conform to these norms. Experience also plays a fundamental role. But this remarkable plasticity also provides parents and other caregivers with a wonderful opportunity to compensate for the different tendencies of boys and girls.

The point is not to discourage children from sex-typical play since pushing trucks or playing with dolls are great activities for any young child , but to supplement those activities with experiences that encourage the development of many competences.

When is the brain fully developed? Researchers continue to study the developmental differences between boys and girls and what causes them, but it's important to remember that biology alone doesn't determine the kind of son or daughter you'll have. Exposing your child to a wide range of activities and experiences is the best way to support a well-rounded, active child.

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Learn more about our editorial and medical review policies. Gender identity development in children. American Academy of Pediatrics. Physical development: What's normal? What's not? Boes A, et al. Right ventromedial prefrontal cortex: a neuroanatomical correlate of impulse control in boys. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience 4 1 Junaid KA, et al. Gender differences in the attainment of motor skills on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children. Kaplowitz P, et al.

Evaluation and referral of children with signs of early puberty. Pediatrics 1 Precocious puberty: A guide for families. Pediatric Endocrine Society.

Zero to Three. Brain FAQs. Karisa Ding is a freelance health writer and editor with expertise in preconception, pregnancy, and parenting content. A mother of two, Ding finds great joy in supporting new and expectant parents by providing information they need for the life-changing journey ahead.

Ding lives in San Francisco with her family. Join now to personalize. Photo credit: Thinkstock. Physical growth Between the big growth stages of infancy and adolescence, boys and girls grow in height and weight at about the same slow but steady rate. James Meyer , a Marshfield Clinic pediatrician. From an evolutionary perspective, women develop faster so they do not choose a male of their same age, who is less able to protect and provide for them and their potential child.

This is, of course, no longer the norm in modern society. Meyer said boys catch up to girls in development by late high school.

However, the frontal part of the brain, which largely controls judgment, does not fully mature until around age For adolescents, Meyer said the maturity gap impacts friendships between boys and girls who played well together in early childhood but are no longer on the same wavelength. Additionally, each individual enters puberty in his or her own time.