Matt Damon 'Relearning' the Differences Between Boys and Girls

Hot Shots Worldwide/Splash News Online

As a father of three girls, Matt Damon is clearly in touch with his feminine side. At no time is the 38-year-old actor’s “testosterone deficit” more apparent, however, than when he is spending time with his brother.

“I sit there and play princesses with my daughter, and I never told her anything about a princess, ever,” he noted during a recent appearance on Late Show with David Letterman. “Whereas I go to my brother’s house, and he’s got two boys…I walk in the front door, and I instantly get punched in the nuts.”

“You know, we’ll call each other…he lives in Boston. He’ll say, ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ [I'll say] ‘I’m playing princesses, man, what are you doing?’ He’s like, ‘I’m in the emergency room again.’ They know him there. [He'll say,] ‘The older one hit the younger one in the head with a guitar. It was an accident.’”

Because he grew up without a sister, Matt admits that he often finds himself in uncharted territory. “It’s great, but it’s really different…so I’m kind of relearning everything,” he explains. “I mean, boys and girls are just different. A lot of people have written books about this; I’m not telling you anything you don’t know.”

Matt and wife Luciana are parents to Gia Zavala, 13 months, Isabella, 3, and Alexia, 11. His new movie The Informant! hits theaters Friday.

Source: Late Show with David Letterman

– Missy

Comments

Erika on September 17th, 2009

So true!! It was obvious with my brother and sister and I. While I would love to have one of each some day, 3 girls sounds like so much fun too!!

B.J. on September 17th, 2009

It’s true, and it’s made the idea of having a boy absolutely terrifying to me! I’d love a house full of daughters.

Miche on September 17th, 2009

Ha Ha! So true for my DH, too. He grew up with 3 brothers and now life with our daughter is uncharted territory. He was helping me with laundry one time and came of the utility room with a look of horror on his face. He said “the dryer just vomited pink!” But he’s doing a great job with his girls, just like Matt!

Elizabeth on September 17th, 2009

I think it’s sooooo cute that he and Ben have 2 daughters each that are close in age. soooooo cute!

Elby on September 17th, 2009

I feel Matt’s pain, we have twin daughters aged 3 and twin sons aged 19 months and the difference is unbelievable! Sometimes I struggle to switch between princesses, tea parties, babies and dressing up to jumping up and down, cars, cars, dinosaurs, cars and making a mess.
I’ve got to say though we spend just as much time in the A&E (ER) with the girls as we do with the boys, I’m surprised we haven’t had a visit from social services to be honest!

Shannon on September 17th, 2009

OMG I just laughed out loud at the comment about getting punched in the … you know! It’s so true though. My daughter loves all things clothes, hair, makeup, Barbie, princess, while my son on the other hand I think is trying to seriously hurt himself! I’m just waiting for the day he headbutts me and I wind up in the ER with a broken nose!

All Women Stalker on September 17th, 2009

Awww, how cute! I can imagine him playing princesses. LOL. Ben must have the same troubles.

-meream

kris on September 17th, 2009

LOL! My husband just said last night about our 2 boys “why are they ALWAYS so rough”. We have friends with all girls and mostly just stare in horror at the crazy boy stuff.

JMO on September 17th, 2009

HAHA cute and so very true!!

My brother and I growing up could’nt be more different. He was always getting into things and getting in trouble and I was mommy’s good little princess

I think it all depends though to. I mean if you have 4 sons then have a daughter sometimes she doesn’t know any better then to play rough.

I have 3 nephews and a niece and the boys are into running over things, beating each other up, using potty talk, getting messy and the girl well she’s into princesses, being dramatic, and will freak out if she has sticky hands! So different but it’s great!

Bancie1031 on September 17th, 2009

wonder if they’re going to have anymore children?

Liliana on September 17th, 2009

That’s cute.

I’m the opposite of Matt as I have two sons and can’t even fathom switching from dinosaurs to Tinkerbell. For me, the differences between boys and girls has never astounded me as much as how different children can be. My boys are polar opposites of each other but it definitely makes things interesting.

Matt seems like a wonderful father to his daughters.

Brianne on September 17th, 2009

I love reading what Matt has to say. He’s always entertaining – funny and seems like a very loving dad.

SH on September 17th, 2009

OMG, that is SO freakin funny and SO TRUE!! I loved the nuts comment – it’s so dead on…

freebreeze on September 17th, 2009

This always weirds me out…because I have a boy and a girl and its like no-one read them the manual. My daughter is loud, athletic, not into social nicities and is obsessed with insects and reptiles. She came home from school livid yesterday because she had missed out on dissecting a dogsharks brain because she was doing “stupid dancing” for an end of year assembly. She wants to be an entymologist. My son on the other hand likes make believe, flowers, and is the most kind gentle person on the planet. He wants to be a paediatrician or a florist. So in my experience boys and girls are different but not in the way everyone else says!

Mia on September 17th, 2009

The “emergency room” comment really made me laugh, LOL. It is true, boys and girls are very different. My brother, and I are complete and total opposites. I also notice it a lot in other animals too, like I have cats, a boy and a girl, and just something about their temperament, and behavior is very different, its interesting.

Jane on September 17th, 2009

I can’t stand him and comments like this make me dislike him ever more. Not all girls are into princess and “girly” stuff.

Avalulu on September 17th, 2009

I love Matt and this is a hilarious anecdote. But I have to say that as a mom of two boys it kind of bugs me when people say, as one or two of the PP did, that they’re “afraid” to have boys and “would never know what to do with a boy” and would rather have all girls. I think all women (to some degree) dream about having daughters, but having sons has really been the most amazing experience. Sure they’re different, but it’s not fair to essentialize boys as all one way (nor is it fair to do the same with girls). Yes, boys are often more physical than girls and perhaps interested less in dolls, but beyond that every child is truly a unique individual, and it’s fascinating and wonderful to raise a child, regardless of their sex. Having boys has really opened my eyes up to this, and I hope that women who are planning to having children think more along these lines, rather than convince themselves that they would be more comfortable with one sex or the other. I think Matt’s experience demonstrates this exactly–how amazing and life changing it can be to get out of your comfort zone!

sat on September 17th, 2009

aw, he’s just taking it as it is for him. I think he’s got a nice sense of humor.

Karen on September 18th, 2009

@Jane I am trying to see where he said that all girls are into princesses? In fact he says that he never told her about them, meaning that they just like princesses not that they were told they should like princesses. And saying that boys and girls are different doesn’t exactly mean boys must play with cars and girls must play with princesses.

dee on September 18th, 2009

I think some people go a little overboard with the gender differences and are very old fashioned about them. I once had a teacher tell me I was “too loud for a little lady.”

Belle on September 18th, 2009

Haha! He is Gorgeous! Im a very very proud Mummy to three little girls, as Matt is. I Think having three of any kind, you get crap from people about wanting the oppposite gender. I think His comments are great. Shows that he absolutely adores his ladies, and he doesn’t need a son to be happier or any more perfect. Gorgeous gorgeous!

Lauren on September 18th, 2009

I agree with dee. I was once told many times by multiple family members that im too “messy” to be a girl, even if i cleaned up after myself i still managed to make the room look messy.

Elby on September 18th, 2009

Lauren and Dee that’s terrible! I’ve deliberately avoided placing any gender expectations on my kids and God knows my girls can make just as much mess and noise as the boys but I have noticed a very clear gender bend between the girls and the boys.
Before the girls could choose for themselves I bought them just as many ‘boys’ toys as ‘girls’ ones but they never bothered with the ‘boy’ ones much. There are probably more girly toys in my house because the girls got a 17 month headstart on the boys but my boys still head for the boyish ones, cars are an absolute obsession already *rolls eyes*. Of course having said that they do play with all the toys, two of the toys that get most use are the buggies and the shopping trolley. The hoover is also quite popular too (that was a present – my kids weren’t sure what to do with it at first! And I suspect it’s popular mainly cos it makes a lovely noise).

Anyhoo, the point of my long ramble (bear with me here it’s nearly kiddy bedtime in the UK) is to say that I do think children are just genetically pre-disposed to certain types of toys with very little input from the parents.

ErykaWynter on September 18th, 2009

The comments Matt made are EXACTLY why I am slightly terrified to have my son who is due in December. I am an only girl and I always envisioned myself with a daughter. When I found out I was having a boy, I was like “what do I do with a boy?”. Most of my friends have boys and they are loud, rough, defiant and its non-stop action. I do not believe that ALL boys are like this, but most I have been around are. I just can’t bear the thought of having a crazy little monster running around my house 24/7. I keep telling myself that I can raise a little boy differently from that, but I’m not sure its true.

Diane Jones on September 18th, 2009

I always used to say that boys and girls are not different – children are all different. I was proven wrong.

I have 3 boys who are all very different. I have the sports nut, the “brute” who does everything at top speed and the sweet artisitic emotional softy. How could a girl be different, I would ask.

My 4th child is a girl and she is so different from my boys. She loves dolls and makeup and clothes. She is the most nuturing little person I have ever met. However, she can keep up with boys on almost everything they do. She can catch a football and has given it back to the boys as good as she gets.

I have such a blast with all of them!

Susan on September 18th, 2009

My four-year-old twin boys are energetic and love cars, Legos, and drums. BUT both boys are also incredible tender and affectionate. Moms-to-be shouldn’t worry that having a boy means having a “monster” run through the house. I’ve never met anyone as sweet and caring as my own small boys, and they teach me about how to be a loving person every day.

KansasRefugee on September 18th, 2009

I appreciate all the comments here and wanted to add one thought. These actions of “needing to feel like a princess and be admired” and “kicking men (especially not the actual father) in the nuts” seem to me to be expressions of a kind of aggression (which may indeed have gender preferences in the way it gets expressed).

My brother used to slug my uncle in the gut whenever he saw him, and I was always looking to be admired for my reading and my plays that I would invent. It was not healthy, though. I think it came from my brother and me not getting the kind of healthy emotional validation (i.e. empathy, compassion, atunement, support) from our parents that we needed.

stephanie on September 19th, 2009

@Jane He could invent the cure of cancer tomorrow and you still won’t like him. I find his comments here perfectly harmless.

boobooo on September 20th, 2009

The only thing my daughter has ever done with a doll is put it in a doll stroller and run down a corridor to crash it into a wall so she could see how far it would be catapulted. Her best friend (Jack- owner of the doll) would immediately burst into tears. Trust me lots of girls are not into princesses and baby dolls. Its about PEOPLE not genders.

boobooo on September 20th, 2009

Also, to those nervous about having boys…I have loved every minute of raising my son! They are incredible fun! You have an amazing journey ahead of you.

Maddie on September 20th, 2009

This was just a really cute, funny interview! I wish that people didn’t feel the need to point out that all children are individuals and don’t always meet gender expectations, blah blah blah. We all know that. At the same time, it’s pretty obvious that generally speaking, there are real differences between boys and girls. And I think it’s great and it’s fine. And if Matt is speaking to those differences, it’s because it seems to be the case in HIS family.

KansasRefugee on September 21st, 2009

Maddie-

We have to point out that these differences are often not innate and are acculturated because many men and some women continue to see men as superior to women. And because people like you speak about these things in a close-minded, self-righteous fashion. Look at what you wrote: you initially dismiss everyone else’s comments (kinda rude, dontcha think?); then you say that looking at whether these are innate or not is not something people should look at; then you say you “it’s pretty obvious” showing your view is somehow the only view; then you appear to say you like traditional gender roles (whether they are innate or not); and finally you appear to place emphasis on it being HIS family.

I’m not impressed.

Let’s move on and let kids be kids but also be responsible adults about making sure we’re giving them all the opportunities to be themselves, regardless of the gender. And let’s not shelter girls from actions and boys from feelings in some misguided attempt to reinforce male supremacy just because you might have set up your life that way?

Maddie on September 29th, 2009

hee hee – just saw your post KansasRefugee. It’s way too late and you’re not likely to read this, but i can’t resist responding to your breathtaking assumptions. Yes, it’s obvious there are differences between the sexes – we’re learning more and more about how our brains work, including the differences between male & female. That’s not my “view” – that’s science! So the interesting question is not whether differences are 100% nature or 100% nurture (or are you actually arguing the latter?) but rather that we are trying to understand the role that both can play. geez.

It’s ridiculous and offensive for you to presume the value I place on those differences, when all I simply stated was that I thought it was fine & great that they’re there. As it happens, i believe that the difficulties women continue to face come about because society continues to value “male” traits more. As for your objection that I wrote “HIS family” (he was the subject of the post after all) and your irrational deduction from my post that I set up my life to reinforce “male supremacy”, well…it was good for a few laughs (especially for my decidedly non-chauvinistic hubby). But your contempt for women and fellow posters is not so funny.