Nature Meets Nurture: Science-Based Strategies for Raising Resilient Kids

Borelli, Jessica, and Stacy Doan. Nature Meets Nurture: Science-Based Strategies for Raising Resilient Kids. 2022. 350p. ISBN 9781433833106.

Whether a person is shaped by their environment, their family, or their hard wiring remains a source of debate, with research pointing to both sides of the arguments to describe why some individuals are successful despite poor genetic conditions or an inadequate environment, while others have both and seem to not amount to much. In Nature Meets Nurture, the latest investigations on brain science, epigenetics, and social research are analyzed, translated into plain English, and applied to specific situations to demonstrate skills and actions parents can take to help their child exceed the debate of nature versus nurture and instead support whole person emotional well-being.

Genetics are very important, and influence a child even before birth. But they are not the end of the conversation. The environment that surrounds the child, even before birth, also has a direct impact on the child's development in the womb, and, following birth, their emotional bonding. Strategies to deploy the best of genetics and environmental circumstances are presented, with the goal of creating a more resilient child, equipped with skills designed to reduce stress, promote social awareness, and improve learning. 

With so much stress in our lives, whether nature or nurture has a larger influence on a person is moot. We need to deal with both, and we need to incorporate the best that each bring to ensure that children can grow into well-loved and successful individuals.