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Almost every study on early childhood development and later outcomes shows that how a child is raised has very little to do with outcomes compared to heredity.

Almost every study on early childhood development and later outcomes shows that how a child is raised has very little to do with outcomes compared to heredity. https://www.vox.com/2015/8/11/9127769/parenting-advice-worthless https://www.vox.com/2015/8/11/9127769/parenting-advice-worth... https://www.vox.com/2015/3/31/8320233/time-spent-with-kids https://www.vox.com/2015/3/31/8320233/time-spent-with-kids http://quillette.com/2016/01/19/heritability-and-why-parents-but-not-parenting-matter/ http://quillette.com/2016/01/19/heritability-and-why-parents...

cbanek 9y ago
I looked at your links, but I'm still not sure I buy it. All of these seem to quote the same study, and it doesn't involve any child under 3, which is actually where a lot of early childhood development happens. That's the time when a child who's left alone in a room will basically turn into a vegetable. I do agree that there's no magic formula for being a great parent. The baby Beethoven phenom, best color to paint your baby's room, etc are indeed useless. But that's good parents who actually care trying to read studies and be better. These parents are involved, and care. Not all parents are like that. From your second article: "In fact, the study found one key instance when parent time can be particularly harmful to children. That’s when parents, mothers in particular, are stressed, sleep-deprived, guilty and anxious." This sounds like exactly the kind of thing that would happen less with older, more established parents. On the other hand, if the parents can't hold a job, or are addicted to drugs, I think you'd be hard pressed to say that doesn't have an effect on childhood outcomes. If anything, parents who are criminals are more likely to have children that are criminals. If you want to say criminality is genetic, that's a fair argument. But I believe it's more likely to be about class/race/means, and is a set of learned behaviors. I think there's a limit to how good parenting can affect outcomes to the positive (genetics). But I also think bad parenting can't be ruled out. And none of these studies talk about sub-par parenting.
- imron 9y ago
  > This sounds like exactly the kind of thing that would happen less with older, more established parents Conversely, younger people are better at handling things like sleep deprivation and so on.
bykovich2 9y ago
Ah yes, Vox and Quillette, the child development journals of record.
- manyoso 9y ago
  You could always read the articles and experts they cite.

cbanek 9y ago

I looked at your links, but I'm still not sure I buy it. All of these seem to quote the same study, and it doesn't involve any child under 3, which is actually where a lot of early childhood development happens. That's the time when a child who's left alone in a room will basically turn into a vegetable. I do agree that there's no magic formula for being a great parent. The baby Beethoven phenom, best color to paint your baby's room, etc are indeed useless. But that's good parents who actually care trying to read studies and be better. These parents are involved, and care. Not all parents are like that. From your second article: "In fact, the study found one key instance when parent time can be particularly harmful to children. That’s when parents, mothers in particular, are stressed, sleep-deprived, guilty and anxious." This sounds like exactly the kind of thing that would happen less with older, more established parents. On the other hand, if the parents can't hold a job, or are addicted to drugs, I think you'd be hard pressed to say that doesn't have an effect on childhood outcomes. If anything, parents who are criminals are more likely to have children that are criminals. If you want to say criminality is genetic, that's a fair argument. But I believe it's more likely to be about class/race/means, and is a set of learned behaviors. I think there's a limit to how good parenting can affect outcomes to the positive (genetics). But I also think bad parenting can't be ruled out. And none of these studies talk about sub-par parenting.

imron 9y ago
> This sounds like exactly the kind of thing that would happen less with older, more established parents Conversely, younger people are better at handling things like sleep deprivation and so on.

bykovich2 9y ago

Ah yes, Vox and Quillette, the child development journals of record.

manyoso 9y ago
You could always read the articles and experts they cite.