Case studies: 'Mothers and daughters can share things fathers can't. It's a girlie relationship'

EILEEN Prior, of Edinburgh, is the mother of two boys and a girl, and she admits she treats them differently but insists it is not because of their gender.

She has boys aged 22 and 13 and a daughter who is 18.

She said: "It's time we moved away from the myth that we treat all boys one way and all girls another way.

"Children are all individuals with their own personalities and should be treated individually.

"I know my daughter perhaps has had a tough time because she is the middle child but that is down to her position in the family rather than being a girl."

Mrs Prior, who is director of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said she felt boys actually needed more support than girls.

She said: "It has been recognised that girls are a bit more independent and more focused on what they are doing.

"Teachers will tell you boys often need that bit more support than girls."

However, she said treatment of boys and girls should not separated down gender lines.

She said: "A one-size-fits-all approach doesn't work.

"I hope we have come to the point where we have expelled this myth of how we treat boys and girls and that we now realise we have to treat everyone as individuals."

Beverley Gibson, from Ayrshire, says she has a very close relationship with her daughter Ruth, who is in her early teens.

She said: "I would say that overall girls are close to their fathers but I think mums and girls do have their own relationships."

She said mothers and daughters had a different closeness to that shared by daughters and fathers.

She said: "Mothers and daughters can share things fathers can't like clothes and make-up. It's a girlie relationship, which carries on into adulthood."

And she says mums can benefit too: "Teenage daughters will certainly give you advice on what is acceptable and what isn't for their mother to wear."