I'm sure that you are all aware of the studies that show a stark difference between how parents treat their sons and daughters; girls get comforted more often and more quickly when they are upset, are picked up more often and are more likely to be held facing the person holding them as opposed to boys, who are more likely to be faced away. Parents are more likely to ignore crying boys or tell them to shrug it off. And so on.

But which of these strategies creates better humans? My partner and I have been getting more serious about the idea of marriage and children and this is something that has been on my mind a lot. I can see advantages and drawbacks to both.