A question that occurs to almost all parents who have both sons and daughters is how differently they need to be parented. Finding a way to acknowledge the fact that they may have different needs while also raising them as equally as possible can be a challenge. As phenomena like boy moms expose, it is something that many parents can fail at miserably, and be shameless about it to boot.

While most people would agree that it is an important part of the upbringing for boys and girls to spend quality time with their same-gender parents, it is definitely something that needs to be handled sensitively. This is even more true when they have a close relationship with their parent of the opposite gender. If it is properly dealt with and explained, the exclusion can be hurtful and reveal some deeper problems within the relationships between kids and parents as they get older.