Similarities and Differences in Parent and Child Characteristics

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Children are like fingerprints, not one is the same as another. Appearance, personality, and the pace at which we develop are unique to each person. Although individuality is celebrated, new parents are often eager to pick out characteristics of their children that are similar to their own. They may notice their infant has the same vibrant, red hair as his mother or loves reading as much as his father. Such similarities and differences between a parent and a child can be caused by a variety of reasons. In this paper I will explore two broad categories, environmental factors and inherited characteristics, as the basis of these characteristic variations. Carson had a normal, natural birth with a labor time of about ten hours. He was generally a content and relaxed baby, regular in his sleeping and eating habits. As toddlerhood approached, Carson was eager to explore his surroundings but showed a distinct attachment to me. As he grew older, it became easier to pinpoint some behaviors and traits that resembled my own, as well as some that were unlike me. To begin, one of the traits Carson displayed that approximated my own was his temperament. When surveyed about my personality inventory, I indicated that I was essentially an easy-going person, able to stay on task and follow the rules, exhibit appropriate emotions, and adjust to novel situations fairly easily. Likewise, Carson followed similar patterns of temperament. According to researchers, three main personality types emerge in childhood; resilient, overcontrolled, and under controlled children (Asendorpf, Borkenau, Ostendorf, Van Aken, 2001). Carson presented behaviors that were all indicative of the resilient child—well-adjusted, able to regulate emotions, ... ... middle of paper ... ...98). Role of Cognitively Stimulating Home Environment in Children's Academic Intrinsic Motivation: A Longitudinal Study. Child Development, 69(5), 1448-1460. Hoekstra, R. A., Bartels, M., van Leeuwen, M., & Boomsma, D. I. (2009). Genetic architecture of verbal abilities in children and adolescents. Developmental Science, 12(6), 1041-1053. doi:10.1111/j.1467-7687.2009.00843.x Jones, P. A. (1972). Home Environment And The Development Of Verbal Ability. Child Development, 43(3), 1081-1086. doi:10.1111/1467-8624.ep12114677 Oliver , K. (2002 , May). Understanding your child's temperament. Retrieved from http://ohioline.osu.edu/flm02/FS05.html Price, T. S., & Jaffee, S. R. (2008). Effects of the family environment: Gene-environment interaction and passive gene-environment correlation. Developmental Psychology, 44(2), 305-315. doi:10.1037/0012-1649.44.2.305

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