This article by Dr. C.E. Gant just might make you re-think your assessment of “parenting skills” of parents of children who abuse drugs.
The Nurture Assumption and Genomics
Having certain genes which guarantee me lifetime struggles with insomnia, I voraciously read lots of books to cope. And as I travel frequently, I never know what books pop up to eventually bore me into a good snooze.
While visiting my brother and sister-in-law recently, I happened upon a Pulitzer Prize finalist copy of The Nuture Assumption, why children turn out the way they do, by Judith Rich Harris. Sometimes well-written, provocative books have the opposite effect and keep me awake into the wee hours. Such was the case here.
The Nuture Assumption makes a compelling case, based on sound research on identical twins and other data, that within reasonable attempts to provide our kids with a non-abusive environment, parenting does not matter much in how your children turn out!
I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but you may now point out to those obnoxiously, proud parents who raised exceptionally talented and gifted children, that they are full of braggadocio hot air. And other parents, who despite their best efforts, nurtured kids who became dropouts, addicts and flunkies, can now get off their guilt trips.
Identical twins, separated at birth and brought up in utterly different circumstances, turn out pretty much the same. In fact their quirky traits, talents and behaviors have astonishing similarities.