My Biology Experiment

A few weeks ago I took the kids to get some new shoes and didn't realize the outing would result in a biology experiment. With three kids, all with different tastes and demands, I knew this outing would require plenty of patience and a good sense of humor to get me through it. What I didn't expect was to learn that I was going to have a clear snapshot of the differences between the male and female psyche.

We started out with the boys running down the aisles basically tearing the place apart, grabbing and knocking everything down. Oldest wanted a pair of Heelys. Little B wanted anything that looked like it would help him run "super fast" and within minutes he quickly found a pair of dark blue Nikes with bright green Nike checks zipping across the sides. They looked just like "lightening speed shoes." Even though they did just what he was looking for, I tried to show him a few others choices. How could he be done so quickly? He had zero interest in other shoes.

Next was Oldest. Although there were no Heelys, he found a good alternative. Skater shoes with no wheels. Since it's what all his friends are wearing these would do just fine. Like Little B he also was done pretty quickly and had no desire to keep looking.

Daughter, now she had a completely different approach. She looked at every possible shoe in her section. She inspected, flipped possible choices around, and thought about her choice long and hard. While she did this, she even talked about the types of shoes her friends had or what so and so would think about her choice. The boys were getting very impatient with her but this didn't distract or deter her. Eventually, even I had enough and tried to show her a number of shoes and felt like I picked one in every single possible style. There was something not right about each shoe. Either "too pink" or "too flat" or "too plain." The girl was driving me nuts!! Finally, she found the "perfect" shoe, the new Twinkle Toes by Sketchers. (Side note: The shoes are super cool and stylish with toes light up. A perfect match for my little style diva. Check them out!)

The approach the kids took when selecting their shoes really highlighted the differences between the two sexes. But this isn't something I noticed just during this outing. Really, since having the kids I've learned to have a better appreciation and understanding in how different men and women really are from each other. I saw in Daughter what most women go through when they shop for clothes/shoes. For most of us we put a lot of thought into our purchases and enjoy when we get compliments from our peers. (And let me assure, she's been getting plenty since she got them and it makes.her.day.) Most men, on the other hand, have a totally different approach. They know what they want, they find it quickly, and voila, they are done. I can remember plenty of times where Mr. Jonesie would ask us to wait in the car while he ran in and out of Dillard's only to come back with exactly what he needed, and in minutes.

As the kids get older I'm really starting to see more and more that my boys are wired completely different than my girl. Their habits, inability to communicate, ways in which they communicate, or solve problems are much different than the way I would or Daughter would approach something. Even though the two boys have two totally different personalities, the basic science behind them are similar.

While I realize none of this is groundbreaking information for anyone, my little shoe experiment has compelled me to inquire into this a bit further. Maybe listen to an audio book or two on the subject and see if I can find answers to some of the million dollar questions in my life. Like, why can't men just put the toilet seat down? Or find something without asking where it is first? Or express their feelings about something just for the sake of talking about it rather than searching for solutions or answers only? Or how about this one- toughen up when they are sick?

I think I'll start with adding Men are From Mars/Women are From Venus to my reading list because it's about time I better understand what's really going on here.

I'll keep ya'll posted!