Thursday, July 10, 2008

Nature V. Nurture

Dave and I were discussing Nature vs. Nurture at dinner last night (probably in regards to our awesome parenting and how much it impacts our perfect children.) But with your biological children, does it matter what comes from your genes and what comes from your environment and actions? What's the diff? Who cares? And if something is not a genetic trait, but a learned behavior, does that mean it can be unlearned? Or relearned for the better?

I guess what I mean is, can people change?

The reason I ask is that Luke could not find his shoes this morning and it upset the delicate balance that allows us to get out of the house somewhere within an hour of on time without screaming, crying, or shaking our fists at the gods. Meetings were almost missed, bottles were forgotten, tears were shed. Luke's shoes were right by the front door. I have to feel a little sorry for the kid because he seems to have my tendency to lose things, combined with Dave's inability to look for and find things. Is the inability to look for and find things a genetic trait? Possibly on the y chromosome? Do I lose things because I need to scale back from ubertasking to mere multitasking?

This week I had to borrow Dave’s keys, mine were later found in a breast pump compartment. I went to physical therapy for my knee and couldn’t find my insurance card. I was sure it was on my desk, but it turned out to be in my wallet after all. It is time for a change. I don’t care if my very mitochondrial DNA insists that I lose things, I am going to try to keep track, and I am going to try to help Luke do the same. Wish me luck!

3 comments:

The DINKs said...

OH MY GOD! I just made the same pledge, Megan, right after I spent a half hour Sunday (for the second time that day) looking for my floppy hat. I'd like to report that I've turned my life around....except that I spent 10 minutes looking for my floppy hat again this morning. Fortunately I married a man with the "finding things" gene, so he saved the day....again.

molly said...

Now I don't feel so bad for forgetting to put the amount on the check...Are we trying to do too much? Or, put your stuff out the night before???

Anonymous said...

It is known as "male patern blindness" inherted and usually exhibited in the early thirtys like 'baldness'. He is suffering from this at an unsually young age, although his father showed signs early in his life. His grandfather on his dad's side has had the problem for mahy years. Paul/Dad/Grandad