Do Parents Have Different Hopes and Standards for Their Sons Than for Their Daughters? Parents want all their children, whether they are boys or girls, to be happy and successful. Yet a recent study of Internet search data suggests that American parents do in fact hold different expectations for their children based on sex. For one, they want their boys to be smarter and their girls skinnier. What is your experience? Do mothers and fathers have different hopes and standards for their sons than for their daughters? In the Opinion article "Google, Tell Me. Is My Son a Genius?," Seth Stephens-Davidowitz writes: More than a decade into the 21st century, we would like to think that American parents have similar standards and similar dreams for their sons and daughters. Do parents hope for different things for their sons and daughters? Do mothers and fathers hold different standards for girls and boys? Do they want their sons to be smarter? And their daughters skinnier? Do parents treat their children differently based on their sex? Do you feel you are treated differently than your siblings because of gender? In what ways? If you are a parent someday, will you have different hopes and standards for your sons and daughters?