Raising a child isn’t an easy job. It takes patience, time, energy, and, of course, money. You would have many expenses on clothing, feeding, tuition, medicals, etc.
But have you wondered which will be more expensive to raise, a boy or a girl? We are about to find out.
How Much Does it Cost to Raise a Child?
The cost of raising a child isn’t set in stone, and many factors determine how expensive it can get. These factors include your environment, your standards or tastes, the peculiar needs of the child, and their sex.
The US Department of Agriculture believes it would cost an average of $242,080 to raise a newborn child till they turn 18. So, what role does sex play in determining the costs?
Needs Are Different
In the initial stages, the needs of both the girl and boy child are pretty much the same, especially in the babyhood stage. But as time goes on, things begin to change.
As the difference in needs begins to emerge, so does cost. Very likely, the needs of one sex would become more financially demanding than the other. Even when needs overlap, one sex could require more of the same items than the other.
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Different Surveys, Different Answers
There are no better people to answer this question than parents themselves. The answer to this question is easy for parents who have raised both sexes.
Many groups have carried out surveys amongst parents on this topic. Truth be told, all the surveys haven’t turned up with the same conclusions. But most have identified one sex as the more expensive to raise.
Who is More Expensive, Boys or Girls?
Even though there are parents on either side of the divide, girls have the upper hand in this debate. Most surveys show that female children will take up a larger chunk of your budget than their male counterparts.
An example is a study by a price comparison website. The website’s findings show that girls gulp more money than males in their teens.
Cosmetics and Toiletries for Girls
According to the study, teenage girls spend more money on cosmetics and toiletries. They are highly interested in looking good and maintaining personal hygiene at that stage.
The study placed the average cost of these categories of items at $16,485 throughout their teenage years. At this stage, boys typically care more for technology, which will cost way less at $9,892.
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Girls’ Clothes Cost More Money
Although clothes are a common need between the sexes, girls’ clothing consumes more money than the boys. The study showed that girls’ clothing is 37% more expensive than boys’, even at the toddler stage.
Also, girls tend to require more clothing items than boys do. Female child clothing can cost up to $14,862 throughout their childhood, a far cry from the $7,469 for boys.
Boys Demand for More Pocket Money
The research also showed that the gender pay discrepancy began during the teenage years. Boys were found to demand more pocket money than girls and so got more from their parents.
Boys received 10 percent more pocket money than girls due to their “readiness to ask for more.” This amounts to at least $456 more pocket money than the girls.
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Girls Have More Expensive Hobbies
Another study on British families revealed that girls are more expensive to raise because of their hobbies. Most girls’ hobbies are more expensive than boys’.
A popular example of an expensive girls’ hobby is dance classes. These can cost anywhere from $60 to $150 every month. Aside from its numerous accessories, such as dancewear and accessories like bags, and water bottles,
Boys Gulp Up More Medical Costs
While girls have been found to cost more to raise than boys, there are certain areas where raising boys is more expensive. One major example is in medical care.
Boys take more risks and are prone to more accidents and injuries, according to a report by a team of researchers at Cambridge University. This translates to higher medical care costs.
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