Preparatory schools abound as parents pack their darlings off. More often than not it's the sons who are sent afar to find themselves and learn to appreciate their parents. There is a myth that girls are easier to raise than boys. I've been a mother to two sons and a daughter. Girls may not suffer from broken voices, but their period of transition into adulthood is vocally and emotionally much more traumatic for a parent then anything boys offer.
Girls are dramatic actresses at birth.
This predilection to the state of prima donnahood becomes even more obvious when they reach their terrible teens. Tears come easily at the most inopportune times. Smiles are special but fleeting gifts. When she visits we rarely see her. Most of her vacation time with us is spent in the bathroom.