Now that Luke has been in my life for 17 months I have been thinking a lot about nature versus nurture.
You know, how much am I influencing Luke and how much is it the personality he was born with.
What are your thoughts on it?
Do you think we are able to nurture someone into acting and responding to life how we think they should or do you think it is someone’s nature to respond a certain way without any outside influence?
I have my answer, but I want to hear your opinion.
I've always thought it had to be both, and now that i'm a Mommy, I really believe it. Lincoln does a lot of little things I know we have influenced him to do, but then he does a whole lot of things that he comes up with on his own. Especially now that he is older, its easier to see.
ReplyDeleteBoth, more nature than nurture in some ways. I read an article that some times we may get so stressed out with trying to teach our children everything when our kids would probably turn out the same with a little less stressing.
ReplyDeleteSo now I try not to stress as much and just try to have fun, make sure Ryan knows he is loved, and take things one day at a time. Of course there is a little more to it than that. But I mostly try to feel less guilty about the job I am doing and try to stop stressing if I am teaching him well enough.
I did almost the exact same post when Macy was younger...titled the same thing actually. :)
ReplyDeleteI think so much of it is nature. There are a lot of qualities of mine that I hope Macy didn't inherit and so I'm trying to use the nurture part to help me a little bit on that. For example, I am pretty shy and I don't want her to be. I am trying to find good ways to bring out her personality and have her be comfortable with/around/in front of people.
I believe it is both. I would have to say more Nurture then Nature because I have four kids, and I see them respond almost identically to the same situation. Then there are the moments that they don't. I am glad there is a little of both.
ReplyDeleteI think it is important to not rely solely on Nature because they would never learn what God wants them too without the influence of their parents.
same here...Seeing how different all 4 of my kiddos are and thinking that I parent in a general same way towards each, tells me that they are born with personality. I however feel that we are still expected to teach them and help to learn to be great people and much can be learned.
ReplyDeleteI think children are born with natural tendencies, for sure. It is up to us to help direct those tendencies in appropriate and wonderful ways. Harper, for example, is a little spitfire and I certainly didn't nurture her to be so. I'm just trying to help her direct her feistiness towards positive things. I'm hoping to help her mold it into good leadership/creative skills.
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