Nature and Nurture in Parenting

The age old question of "Nature vs. Nurture" will be a constant debate until the end of time, but as a parent, it is crucial to gain your own perspective on this theory. It is inevitable at sometime during your parenting journey you will sit back and wonder if your child is behaving in a certain way because they were born this way or because you molded them into the person they are, and although you may swing one way completely over the other, it is useful to address both sides to every story.

As a developmental psychologist, this is one of the greatest debates of our time, and over the years I have put my own spin on how I feel about the situation. You may not feel the same way I do, and that is completely fair as their is no proven answer to which is more vital yet in psychology. Personally, I feel that that both nature and nurture have their own functions in psychology. Obviously, we are born with certain innate characteristics that we can never shake, such as our physical appearance and certain personality traits such as temperament. However, many other aspects of our personality and behavior are a result of reflecting the behavior of the people around us through nurtured actions. I feel personally that nature and nurture share more of an equal bond and work together to shape you and your children. Overall, your children will always be a reflection of you genetically; however, you have to understand that they will also always be effected by the environment they grow up in, the people they surround themselves with, and how you treat them and shape them. Nature is only the beginning, but what you present your children with and the options to provide for your children will determine in the end how successful they will become and what kind of person they are.

What you as a parent should make of this is that it is your job is to not only address the genetically predetermined characteristics of your child but to also push your child to do their best despite whatever background they have. As a parent, it is important to nurture your children in a caring, supportive environment, because the environment they are raised in has a powerful impact on their future, and despite whatever they are born with all children have the ability to be happy and successful in their own way, and as a parent isn't that all you want?

Picture: http://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/smiling_twins_babies_nature_vs_nurture_volunteer_gene_parenting_opt.jpg