Bringing up boys, not girls, burns a hole into parents' pockets

London, July 18 : They say girls' spending habits leave a hole in their parents' pockets, but as it turns out, it's the boys who're high maintenance, says a new survey.

Boys cost thousands of pounds more to bring up than girls because of their obsession with sports and electronic games, the survey found.

Raising sons costs 32,000 pounds through their school years, 7,000 pounds more than daughters.

Parents run up a bill of 2,143.75 pounds a year buying their sons gadgets, including computer game consoles, equipment for their hobbies and new clothes.

Whereas, daughters cost 1,631.86 pounds a year - or 24,739.03 pounds throughout their childhood.

The study, by GE Money, examined the spending habits of 2,000 parents.

The study found that boys cost more to clothe compared with girls, with 3,933.86 pounds spent during a boy's childhood, compared with 3,173.66 pounds on a girl.

Another 2,606.10 pounds is spent on a boy's school uniform - almost 1,000 pounds more than the 1,652.70 pounds it costs for a girl.

Parents then have to spend 2,602.60 pounds on their son's leisure activities, such as football and bowling, while daughters will ask for 1,011.64 pounds for their hobbies, the study found.

"Raising a family is an exciting and enjoyable time. As this survey demonstrates, on occasions it can also stretch the family finances. Sticking to an agreed budget is vital. The survey has thrown up some surprising statistics and lifestyle differences," TimesOnline quoted GE Money, as saying.

ANI