Learning not to stereotype is something every parent needs to learn. (Provided photo — Diane Chase)

I recently had a conversation with a friend about whether or not young boys and girls learn differently. Having one of each, I felt I could weigh in on the discussion with plenty of personal experience and absolutely zero fact-based materials. My opinion was a resounding, “Yes.”

My son was high energy and learned by trial and error, while my daughter watched and learned more by observation. My kids were then drawn toward those children similar to themselves. My son benefited from outdoor experiences driven by movement, while my daughter preferred a less competitive environment. They both liked and learned through movement and activities, but, as described above, in different ways. That said, not every parent will have the same experience as I did. Some boys will be more cerebral, while girls will learn more through experimentation.

I’m not a scientist and have zero credentials, so I did go a bit down the Google rabbit hole to find out if there was any validity to my claims. As always, there are mixed outcomes. An article in Parents magazine, “What Science Really Says about the Difference Between Boys and Girls,” basically states that much of our observations are based on stereotypes. From birth, we tend to hold babies differently based on gender. We expect boys to be rambunctious and girls to be nurturing.

The focus of most behavioral studies is to treat the individual. We also use similar examples to find common ground. As parents, we need to look beyond gender to provide excuses or reasons for our children’s personalities. One common educational idea is that movement provides all kids with active learning rather than passive learning. Think about if you were to take your kids on a trip to the moon rather than just talking about the moon. The act of doing something is powerful. It also isn’t always practical or possible to learn or educate in that fashion. It’s a trial and error situation.

The bottom line is that no one knows your child better than you do. Whether she learns by action or observation, the goals are always the same, to provide the best learning experience for the individual. There is also the concept that we are never too old to learn something new. Look at me, still willing to explore my children’s developmental stages. Shhh, don’t tell them I’m not always right. They can learn that bit of business all on their own.