Chart of the day: boys vs. girls
June 27, 2011 1 Comment
Here’s some results from an interesting Gallup poll (via Economix blog):
A recent Gallup poll asked Americans which sex they would prefer if they could have only one child. About 40 percent said they would prefer a boy and 28 percent would prefer a girl, with the rest saying they had no preference or opinion on the question.
Well, that’s kind of interesting. And it turns out, that it is driven entirely by men preferring boys.
I’m going to unapologetically admit that if I could only have one child, I would want a boy. Not because I think boys are better, but simply because I think it is more likely (though, far from a given) that any given boy will share common interests with me, and there’s nothing more satisfying than sharing common interests with your kids. For the same reason, I would expect women to prefer daughters. I actually find that non-result more interesting.
On a quasi-related note, Kim and I were were watching some of the “Toddlers and Tiaras” marathon on TLC yesterday afternoon. I think Kim summed it up best in two ways. First, “you just can’t stop watching; it’s like a train wreck.” Indeed. Like much reality television, I’m convinced much of the enjoyment comes from watching such horrible people and feeling better about your self. Secondly, and apropos of this post, “those women should not be allowed to have daughters.” In a perfect world.
About Steve Greene
Girl. Not surprising, since I’ve commented about my only child, my daughter.
At the beginning of the pregnancy, I had some visions of the traditional “playing catch and going to basketball games” with my son. But once we found out we were having a girl, that was fine. As she’s grown, our relationship has turned out to be amazing. (I told my wife, I’d only have another child if we could guarantee another girl.)
Now, if you run this same blog post when she’s 16, I might have a different answer!