Happy Kids: Nature Vs Nurture? - Green Eggs & Moms
From the archive. This post was first published on the original Green Eggs and Moms blog and is kept here as it was.
photo by creative commons from freshheadfilms
This has been an ongoing debate for years. Some people believe that genes (nature) dictate a child’s personality, while others think the environment (nurture) does.
I’ve always been a believer that everything a child experiences leaves an imprint (big or small) in his life. So yes, you could say I’m on nurture’s side on this one. However, a new study suggests that there’s no need to take sides, as it’s a combination of both that produces a happy child.
The analogy used is of weeds and orchids:
“A weed will grow anywhere,” Hankin said, “but if you’re an orchid, you’re probably more reactive and responsive to your environment. If you have a really negative, punishing environment, you’re probably not going to grow up to be a beautiful orchid.”
What’s interesting though if you read more into the article, is that the gist is: even children who have the “downer” gene can be happy adults through positive and supportive parenting. Which leads me to think that nurture definitely weighs heavier than nature, despite the claim of the study. What about you, what do you think? Are you on nature or nurture’s side? Or do you think we shouldn’t pick sides at all?
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