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Nature v. Nurture?

Three things I don’t know how my kids learned:

-          All three sleep on their bellies.  We were big “back-to-sleep” parents, so its not like we were putting them down that way.  I am, and always have been a belly sleeper, but they have been in their own room since they were just months old - there is no way this is a learned behavior.  I guess two of them could have learned it from the other, but its odd that they all ended up that way.
-          What is it, from a genetic standpoint, that makes kids not eat crust?  I eat my crusts; my wife eats her crusts.  At 2.5 years old our kids haven’t been around any other children who refuse their crusts.  And yet…no crusts
-          They all like to have their ears covered when they sleep.  This is something my wife does.  I wasn't really totally aware of that fact until she mentioned it in reference to the kids.  Its not like we talk about it – or again – is something they would see.

  Nature?  Nurture?  What do you say?

Comments

  1. 1. Belly sleeping: I'm pretty sure we come from a long line of belly-sleepers. I slept on my stomach until it was causing me back pain, and even then, in the middle of the night I'll flip over if I'm not hurting (while asleep). Now I sleep with a body pillow to support my back while letting me sleep on my side. Definitely genetic, I'd say.

    2. Crusts: I don't think that's a genetic thing or a learned behavior. I think it's just that the crust has the least desirable texture, so it's the least enjoyable. It also tends to be more bitter (which kids don't like). They probably tried the crust once, realized it wasn't as good as the rest of the sandwich, and thus crust-no-more.

    3. Ear covered when sleeping seems like a genetic thing too, like the belly-sleeping.

    But, on that note, I think it's important to differentiate between genetic and like...More Than Genetic. Like, I don't know if it's actually built into the DNA strictly that covering ears is a thing. But maybe it's tagged to the DNA. Maybe it is written. I dunno. But part of me thinks that it could be a greater thing than genetics, like the Greater Social Consciousness, where you know something that you've never really been taught because it's known by your ancestors and people who surround you. Or something.

    I think it's difficult/impossible to say X comes from genetics and Y comes from being taught, because humans aren't that simple. Why can't it be that the genetics makes you prone to it (like alcoholism) but that doesn't mean you're going to become an alcoholic. The environment may need to push you in that direction (in some cases) for it to become fully realized.

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  2. I'd say it's down to nature! (not that I'm any expert or anything!). Probably like how girls can turn their bottom lip out in a pout and get their Dad to do anything they want!

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