SCIENCE

But I Did Everything Right!

DNA discoveries are revealing why even the best parenting doesn't have the effects experts promise, from breast-feeding to letting kids learn from mistakes.

By Sharon Begley | NEWSWEEK

Published Aug 9, 2008

Aug. 18-25, 2008 issue

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Posted By: shesgotagun! @ 09/05/2008 10:36:00 AM

Comment: I almost agreed with this article, but after reading the 6th paragraph decided it was a crock of baloney. I was that mellow baby with the sweet temperment and my sister was always the fussy one. Years later, I became the succesful college student in who already has an engineering job secured after college, and my sister graduated high school with no motivation for college or even a job, and has anti-social tendancies. My parents raised us the same way, (and did a great job!), and are incredibly confused as to what happened. (My sister and I are 2 years apart) But there were other social factors that affected our outlook and motivation for life.
Every child is different, no parent should simply categorize them the way this article does. Although there may be things that are out of your control, that doesn't mean it can be simply blamed on genetics. Most siblings start on a fairly even playing field, it's what happens socially, by parenting, family gatherings, school and church groups, etc. that builds their character.
Posted By: ykarpov @ 09/04/2008 3:54:38 PM

Comment: I am very disappointed with this article. The major claims of the author are as follows: (a) all child psychologists believe that ???kids learn best when they are allowed to make mistakes and feel the consequences??? while totally ignoring the role of genetics in child development, and (b) genetics crucially determines ???why children turn out as they do???. Both these statements are highly disputable. Firstly, in contemporary child psychology, there are different schools of thought. Only one of these schools, constructivism, stresses the importance of children???s independent explorations for their development. But, another very powerful school of thought, nativism, stresses the major role of genotype in children???s development, in particular, in intellectual development. Secondly, and more importantly, the view of genotype as crucially determining the child???s developmental path, although supported by some influential psychologists, totally ignores the increasing pool of data that child development is vitally determined by the social environment. Yes, indeed, children???s temperaments, their speed of information processing, as well as some other aspects of their development are rooted in genotype. But, as early as in the 1930s, the famous psychologist A. Luria showed that specifically human higher level mental abilities (such as the use of mnemonics for memorization) are not determined by genes. Since then, psychologists have experimentally demonstrated how social influences (in particular, parenting and instruction) determine children???s development in each age period. For example, attachment (strong emotional bonds between infants and primary caregivers) has been shown both to be associated with parenting style and to predict later cognitive, social, and emotional development of the child. Adult mediation of children???s object-centered explorations during the second and third years of life has been proven to lead to the development of children???s language and symbolic thought. Helping children organize and enact their play during the period of early childhood has been shown to result in the development of their self-regulation, cognition, and social skills, which represent the major components of school readiness. It has been demonstrated that learning at school leads to the development of children???s formal-logical thought; what is important, a lack of schooling has been shown to result in serious deficiencies of formal-logical thought even in adults no matter what their genotypes were. Finally, it has turned out, that, in contrast with popular wisdom, even adolescents??? development (in particular, identity formation and the development of moral reasoning) is vitally determined by influences from significant adults. In light of these data, it is parents and teachers, not genetics, that crucially determine ???why children turn out as they do,??? no matter how comforting the opposite point of view may be for some parents and teachers.
Posted By: littlefaith @ 08/19/2008 6:26:04 PM

Comment: Great article! It's just hilarious to me how we in the US seem to idolize "experts". We expect "experts" to give us the absolute truth, the facts, when truly there is no absolute to rely on. Not only this, but the scientist who are practicing all this science often have not had time to have their own families and children, yet they are "experts" by dint of academic research. I hope this is just one drop in a storm that brings us more clarity. May we finally see science as a very very clumsy way to get to the truth in complex relational biological systems, useful only in an extremely limited fashion. Please, may the "experts" stop imposing their way as the only way, and just let us use our own judgment and common sense again. It's happening everywhere, in healthcare, education, justice, even in parenting.
Posted By: littlefaith @ 08/19/2008 6:25:04 PM

Comment: Great article! It's just hilarious to me how we in the US seem to idolize "experts". We expect "experts" to give us the absolute truth, the facts, when truly there is no absolute to rely on. Not only this, but the scientist who are practicing all this science often have not had time to have their own families and children, yet they are "experts" by dint of academic research. I hope this is just one drop in a storm that brings us more clarity. May we finally see science as a very very clumsy way to get to the truth in complex relational biological systems, useful only in an extremely limited fashion. Please, may the "experts" stop imposing their way as the only way, and just let us use our own judgment and common sense again. It's happening everywhere, in healthcare, education, justice, even in parenting.
Posted By: clubpc @ 08/19/2008 4:02:41 PM

Comment: Your article focused on the issues of parenting. I read the article from the perspective of an adult: An adult who just never seemed to learn from experiences. I have a history of high risk behavior, addiction, antisocial actions and just plain stupid behavior. And, by most folks criteria, I am a reasonably successful person.

Now I am what folks call a senior citizen looking back sadly on a life of regretful events. Yes, we are financially successful and comfortable, yet there are no stages of my life that are free of those regretful events.

Why did I not learn early, middle or late from my negative experiences? Is it possible that I am one of those children described in the article?
Posted By: parent123 @ 08/19/2008 2:01:02 PM

Comment: Now how about some solid research on what works best with kids with this variant gene.
- Posted By: Gina Pera @ 08/24/2008 9:21:50 PM
  
  Comment: There are DECADES of research on this issue, Parent123. And why the author didn't mention it, I can't imagine. Perhaps the "parenting experts" just can't summon the guts to admit they were wrong all these years and the experts in ADHD were right!
  
  Read a few good books about Attention-Deficit/Hyyperactivity Disorder. Some respects experts include Dr. Martin Kutscher, Dr. Russell Barkley, Dr. Daniel, Amen, and many more.
Posted By: PREDICTIONET @ 08/16/2008 7:58:25 AM

Comment: BE A MEMBER OF WWW.PREDICTIONET.COM
Posted By: Gina Pera @ 08/16/2008 2:00:43 AM

Comment: A lot about this story confuses me, But the 30 percent figure doesn't surprise me at all. It's estimated that at least 10 percent and as many as 20 percent of adults in the U.S. have Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. And they are plagued by the same challenges faced by the children you describe:

"DNA carry a glitch, one that leaves their brains with few dopamine receptors, molecules that act as docking ports for one of the neurochemicals that carry our thoughts and emotions. A paucity of dopamine receptors is linked to an inability to avoid self-destructive behavior such as illicit drug use. But the effects spill beyond such extremes. Children with the genetic variant are unable to learn from mistakes. No matter how many tests they blow by partying the night before, the lesson just doesn't sink in."

It doesn't take a Ph.D. to know that all children are born "differently wired" and that there is no one-size-fits-all advice. But some of these experts interviewed sure are loosy-goosy with their terms--sweet, mellow and fussy? What do those mean? Does Belsky mean, for example, a child who is so oblivious of his surroundings that his parents interpret this as mellow?

The problem with parenting advice for children with these challenges it that it seldom focuses on the parents themselves, such as screening the parents for these genetic conditions. ADHD is 76 percent heritable, which means these children aren't the only ones in their households who have difficulty with self-regulation and not learning from consequences.

Until we focus on helping these parents, the generational cycles of these disorders will continue, not only unabated but magnified over time, with nurture reinforcing nature.
There are many established experts in this field, experts who've recognized for decades that the parenting advice du jour just isn't going to work with children who have ADHD. It's about time that the "parenting experts" caught on instead of denying the reality of ADHD.
Posted By: jane.simpson.wilson @ 08/15/2008 3:03:57 PM

Comment: Now we can argue at the Dinner Table that is is "Your Genes, Not Mine." I still think that it does take a community effort to raise children that can be healthy and happy adults. I have seen mine do some really baffling stuff, but isn't that what growing up is about? Let them fall down, and be there to pick them up, to an extent. I still believe in consequences that are directed by the adults, who are responsible for drawing lines early as a team and sticking to them. I know that this is noyt PC, but I also don't believe that teaching a child to blame it on the genes is appropriate either.
Posted By: dopelgangerA @ 08/15/2008 1:18:12 PM

Comment: I'm glad to hear parents reassured that, even if they try their best, it is NOT their fault if their children have a difficult adjustment in childhood and/or if their children grow up to be adults with social problems. However, I hope that this growing genetic knowledge will not be used to stereotype children or adults who may be discovered in genetic testing to have certain genetic "abnormalities." Everyone is an individual, and different individuals may adjust differently to the same genetic condition; some ultimately may thrive very well in life & in society, even if they have some occassional difficulties.
Posted By: BeccaPaulso @ 08/15/2008 12:41:47 PM

Comment: While "experts" may have their beliefs mixed up, I don't think that all of society really does. A lot of us have come to realize that the world isn't black and white - so to find some evidence in support of parenting being a grey area should be expected.

In any case, knowing whether your child is "teflon" coated can't lead to too many benefits. You'll now find parents who will use it as a crutch or decide that this is a good excuse for gene therapy...

People, it is time for you to realize that your children are individuals. As their own person, they should be given the chance to develop as a unique people. We do not need to form each person into a standard mold. We need to quit trying so hard to create, deliver, and raise 'perfect' children. Being a parent, and a child, is a unique growing experience for everybody who is involved. Heck, its even a growing experience becoming a grandparent... even when you've raised several children.

Finally, a lot of genetics are hereditary. Why would you hold something against your children that you found yourself doing time and again?
Posted By: sonybalony @ 08/15/2008 9:58:48 AM

Comment: I sobbed after reading this article. We thought we did almost everything right, yet our 19-year old son has multiple drug and alcohol offenses. Not only have I looked back over our parenting with sadness and regret, but I worry how my future grandchildren will turn out. Thank you Sharon Begley for making me feel a little better today. Could you make this required reading of every teacher, psychologist, judge and neighbor?
Posted By: tumblon @ 08/14/2008 10:03:07 PM

Comment: The author is considers it shocking how resistant child development experts are to these developments in genetics. Could it be because they work with children and know first-hand just how important parenting is?
Posted By: sfitzg @ 08/14/2008 9:17:20 AM

Comment: Comment: Thank you for this article. I have three sons all of which have grown up in the same home with the same parents and the same parenting. Our oldenst has been a "problem" for many years now, we tried witlderness therapy followed by residential treatment only to have him return and drop out of high school and be consumbed with drugs and alcholol. The other two are very different and I get so angry and hurt when I hear other adults say things like " what kind of parent did that child have" when ever they hear of a young person doing something wrong. This article helps me take away some of those "blame" feelings I have. Thanks
Posted By: sfitzg @ 08/14/2008 9:09:55 AM

Comment: I am the mother of three boys, the oldest of which dropped out of high school,turning to drugs and alcohol. I struggle daily with " why" did we do something wrond as parents? We put him in rehab etc. but quickly went back to his old ways and worse. All three of my boys respond dirfferntly to our parenting and have grown into three differnt individuals. Thank you for your article as I sit and waite daily for the police cruiser to drive up or that dreaded phone call in the middle of the night, maybe it just isn't my fault.
Posted By: elisa32 @ 08/14/2008 5:43:29 AM

Comment: Interesting article... I was severely neglected and abused as a child and I remember vividly thinking that I wanted more than the life I had and had no control over it. I could have gone into prostitution, drugs, etc, but I didn't... will power, genes? I don't know, I have two chldren now whom I adore and give so much love and attention, I don't know how to parent just the same as the next person, but I try to inform myself, be aware of what is happening around them, get to know their personalities and just do the opposite of what was done to me... I think... I know I am doing a good job, but parenting has soooo many ups and downs and at the end of the day, parents are people too, with their own demons and mistakes, so I work at it everyday and sometimes I lose it, sometimes I'm great. Genes probably do take part, but there are so many other factors involved.
Posted By: Asja55 @ 08/13/2008 1:13:15 PM

Comment: Hmmmm....highly debatable, this. So, someone parties before test and does so every time means that it's genes' fault? Could it be they do so because they love to party and don't care about the grades? And did not have the set of consequences put in place by parents to deter such behaviour because they gave up and chalked it up to faulty DNA? While I can see from some posters here that they did have legitimate medical condition and the medicines helped, I also think it is very dangerous that all the new "scientific" research seems to suggests that we are a speices product of mechanisms completely out of our control and that our actions and behavior have nothing to do with our decision making, cognitive reasoning capabilities and free will to make choices.
Posted By: SeanOfTheDead @ 08/13/2008 3:57:28 AM

Comment: I loved the article. I'm not much of a writer and less of a speller, but this article states what I have figured out years ago and I have to comment on it. "Nature vs. Nurture is a distracting lie." Whenever I hear this brought up in an argument, I see people/experts try and prove they are correct more than trying to improving the situation. It is not "Nature vs. Nurture", it is "Nature & Nurture". They are both equally important. I am male, 27, and I was diagnosed with ADD as a child. I fall into the super hard-headed category. I was not missgiagnosed with ADD mind you as so many are. On medication(Ritalin), I didn't act like a zombie or even medicated for that matter. I acted and played like a normal kid. You would know the moment that stuff wore off though. I learned most lessons the hard way even knowing and fully understanding the consequences of my actions just to fight with the powers that be. I must say as an adult, those lessons that my mother worked so hard to teach have stuck with me. This article rings strait and true with what I've seen in life so far. I look forward to new developments in this field. =)
Posted By: SeanOfTheDead @ 08/13/2008 3:51:35 AM

Comment: I loved the article. I'm not much of a writer and less of a speller, but this article states what I have figured out years ago and I have to comment on it. "Nature vs. Nurture is a distracting lie." Whenever I hear this brought up in an argument, I see people/experts try and prove they are correct more than trying to improving the situation. It is not "Nature vs. Nurture", it is "Nature & Nurture". They are both equally important. I'm 27 and I was diagnosed with ADD as a child. I fall into the super hard-headed category. I was not missgiagnosed with ADD either. On medication I didn't act like a zombie or even medicated for that matter. I acted and played like a normal kid. You would know the moment that stuff wore off though. I learned most lessons the hard way even knowing and fully understanding the consequences of my actions just to fight with the powers that be. But I must say as an adult, those lessons that my mother worked so hard to teach have stuck with me. This article rings strait and true with what I've seen in life so far. I look forward to new developments in this field. =)
Posted By: Babo @ 08/13/2008 2:45:51 AM

Comment: Please do an article about what happens when a child's DNA reveals paternity fraud.
Posted By: ejc009 @ 08/13/2008 12:50:00 AM

Comment: I have a highly gifted 6 year old who is one of the statistical outliers as discussed in this article. After three years of highly intensive work with several pychiatrists, child pyschologists, neuropsychologists, special education personnel, occupational therapists and a clinical social worker, we have finally put our son on a medication that puts more dopamine and seratonin into his system, and he is a changed child.

Over the course of those three years we have changed how our family communicates and interacts togther, and it is not like it was ever bad in the first place. We have followed the behavioral interventions prescribed by all the professionals listed above, everything would help bandage the problem, but nothing would ever work to the point that our son's behavior would ever be considered within the range of normal to be in a regular classroom, a self-contained gifted classroom or a Montessori classroom with some chance of social and academic success. We resisted medication for all these years, and with a heavy heart and some serious reservations about the side effects, we started him on a medication that gives him a dopamine and seratonin boost. The effect was immediate. It was like his body finally got what it needed and he is able to recognize the consequences of his actions; GOOD and BAD. It is as if he is able to reprocess the times he was physically and emotionally out of control and consequenced for those actions. Except this time he gets the connection between the action and its consequence.

This article does not necessarily speak to those in the Bell curve, but to those on the ends. And being a parent of one of those on the end, it makes sense. By the way, I have a degree in Social Work, Children's and Family Services, and I subscribed to some of the same preconceived notions about the importance of one's environment, in terms of mitigating genetic destiny. I have blamed and doubted myself for years for fear of being the cause of all his behavioral problems. Now that we have found a solution to the genetic destiny problem, we can now breathe a short sigh of relief as we help our son learn to work on helping keep himself under control and be aware ( and hopefully adhere to) societal norms, while feeding his intellectual
curiosity.
Posted By: stacy_boom @ 08/12/2008 11:02:49 PM

Comment: Each child is different., whether it is realted to DNA, the amount of time they spend in clild care, or exposure to toxic substances in the womb. Any parent who thinks the same thing makes each child tick has never had more than one child. Temprement plays a role in how we treat children as does birth order. All research tells us is that they are all different. You spend your entire life trying to raise children right ask my 95 yrar old grandmother, she is still working and worrying on her children.
Posted By: esti_iturralde @ 08/12/2008 9:17:20 PM

Comment: Yikes, this article really distorts the nature of behavioral genetics, which is not at all this cut-and-dry. The authors do not adequately explain that many of these genes are associated with dozens of different attributes. It can be unclear which attribute is the "cause" of the behavior. They make it sounds like you just flip a switch and the person's temperament or gambling addiction is set in stone. This is ridiculous! Often a gene gets branded with a specific role, i.e. "the alcoholism gene" based on slight (but "statistically significant") differences between groups. It's not like you can go somewhere and get tested for the gene and say, "whew, I won't be an alcoholic, I guess I'll go binge-drinking now!" It doesn't work that way, as convenient as it would be. The fact is that many of these genes depend on environmental influences in order to be protective or harmful. For example, there is a gene associated with aggressive behavior and depression, but it has been shown that this gene needs to interact with high life stress to make a person more prone to these outcomes. Not definitely have these outcomes, but more likely to, based on statistical probabilities. Oh by the way, I am in a psychology doctoral program and am studying child development. It is simply nonsense what you write that psychologists are not studying genetics. Sure, not everybody studies genetics, but most researchers are highly specialized, so why would they? Regardless of whether or not they are doing genetics studies, psychologists are plenty familiar with this area of research!
Posted By: esti_iturralde @ 08/12/2008 9:15:40 PM

Comment: Yikes, this article really distorts the nature of behavioral genetics, which is not at all this cut-and-dry. The authors do not adequately explain that many of these genes are associated with dozens of different attributes. It can be unclear which attribute is the "cause" of the behavior. They make it sounds like you just flip a switch and the person's temperament or gambling addiction is set in stone. This is ridiculous! Often a gene gets branded with a specific role, i.e. "the alcoholism gene" based on slight (but "statistically significant") differences between groups. It's not like you can go somewhere and get tested for the gene and say, "whew, I won't be an alcoholic, I guess I'll go binge-drinking now!" It doesn't work that way, as convenient as it would be. The fact is that many of these genes depend on environmental influences in order to be protective or harmful. For example, there is a gene associated with aggressive behavior and depression, but it has been shown that this gene needs to interact with high life stress to make a person more prone to these outcomes. Not definitely have these outcomes, but more likely to, based on statistical probabilities. Oh by the way, I am in a psychology doctoral program and am studying child development. It is simply nonsense what you write that psychologists are not studying genetics. Sure, not everybody studies genetics, but most researchers are highly specialized, so why would they? Regardless of whether or not they are doing genetics studies, psychologists are plenty familiar with this area of research!
Posted By: breakoutofthebox @ 08/12/2008 7:45:24 PM

Comment: Sorry, this is a total pass for all parents to just give up parenting altogether. I was raised (adopted so non-genetic) by a mother who was abusive, and who completely practiced this "expert" article. She participated not at all, and in fact denegrated both children on a daily basis, blaming the fact that my brother had a lower IQ on his grades and not at all blaming the fact that as a child she sat down and helped me to study while leaving him to roam the neighborhoods miles away and having to search for him at night. She only did this with me briefly however. By fifth grade I was failing miserably in spite of my unusually HIGH IQ.

I then went to live with a new family who TAUGHT me no less, to find pride in my accomplishments by a simple phrase. "aren't you proud of yourself?" That came when I did some good school work. I won an interantional scholarship. I won a U.S. scholarship as well. Sure my genetics and ability to know the work mattered, but what mattered MORE was the family structure. Mum kept us busy, she kept us occupied and didn't allow distractions in our lives.

I didn't have to deal with the drug dealers several miles away. When I came home, my brother had been continually left to face them because my mom didn't want to take care of us. He's a drug addict now. I am fearful of what would have become of me.

When I met my biological mom, well, uh, yeah, genetics plays out in my temperament I found out why I leaned toward arts and musci. Fascinating because my biological brother is an alcoholic. Why? Because his dad was horrible to him . By the way, I'm one of the sweet natured babies you say isn't attuned to the surroundings, you are SO wrong. I was VERY attuned to the surroundings and VERY affected by it. as evidenced by my life experiences.

We TEACH our children what to value, what they cherish. If that weren't true then every child in every society would cherish exactly the same thing without question. Genetics plays a role, but it is NOT the be all and end all for every child in the world. American kids cherish cell phones and televisions and video games.

This article is SO painting the picture black. Don't teach your child a thing, cuz there's nothing you can do about it. PHHHHHTTT. My adoptive mom said that about brushing your teeth. Don't boether, cuz genetics will take over anyway. Yep. Gee, wonder why I have so many fillings in spite of rock hard and great teeth? (I brush them faithfully since I learned from the other family to take pride in my appearance. )
Posted By: BrownFoxNine @ 08/12/2008 7:31:41 PM

Comment: Dude, you can try till your blue in the face, ti all comes dow nt oWHO you let them associate with!

JT
www.FireMe.To/udi
Posted By: breakoutofthebox @ 08/12/2008 7:30:50 PM

Comment: Oh what a CROCK.

I was thinking, gee we should let our child walk in front of a car and be HIT by the car in order to best teach them not to walk in front of cars. Play with electricity. name it, they should learn the hard way. PHHHHHTTTT.

As the mother of a sweet tempered child, well, he's VERY attuned to his environment. He has amazing judgmental abilities when it comes to people. He knows who's an adult he can trust and who he can't and NO this isn't based on MOM'S opinion. I've actually had to sit back and think on what he says and I find that I end up coming to the same conclusion - the HARD WAY, after knowing the person longer than my son has.

He takes on the interests that interest him in spite of being a very pleasant and friendly child.

What experts are you talking about? EVERY person and EVERY child needs guidelines. Without a foundation one can not build up. (duh it's why we have laws... otherwise we'd have to let all people learn the hard way.

There's such a thing as practice, as in ask the child to think through a prospective situation, and let them practice responses. Thsi SO doesn't mean we have to let them be put in harms way to "learn" the lesson. Oh dear GOD do I feel bad for the parents who let their child stay up to "learn" by getting a dismal grade. Did it not occur to the so-called experts (or those parents for that matter) to factor in the BIGGER REWARD? Hello! Let's see, I'm SO disappointed I got a lower grade, so I'll change my ways vs. I had a BLAST at that party and met the future dream date of my life and I'm going to party until it doesn't serve me anymore.

Whatever. I think your experts got a degreee from Kool Aid university.
Posted By: E Ruff @ 08/12/2008 3:57:36 PM

Comment: I never put much faith in the experts and their child rearing books. Any parents with more than 2 children can tell you just how completely different each child is - even if they come from the same genetic stock. One is eager, one lazy, one is easy-going the another uptight, one is comic, on is serious, one is more talented but another works harder, one is outgoing, one is shy, one is stubborn another docile, one cranky another content. What works as punishment for one only makes another act up even more. Teachers and coaches realize this. For each individual, you have to find out what motivates and what discourages them; how to reward them how to punish them. What work s well with one fails with another. This never was rocket science. This only verifies what coaches, teachers, and parents of multiple children have known and been saying all along.
Posted By: hypoicok @ 08/12/2008 2:57:47 PM

Comment: The article states, "In about 30 percent, the coils of their DNA carry a glitch, one that leaves their brains with few dopamine receptors, molecules that act as docking ports for one of the neurochemicals that carry our thoughts and emotions. A paucity of dopamine receptors is linked to an inability to avoid self-destructive behavior such as illicit drug use. But the effects spill beyond such extremes. Children with the genetic variant are unable to learn from mistakes. No matter how many tests they blow by partying the night before, the lesson just doesn't sink in." I'm not going to argue the specific mistakes of this article. They're not that critical. Conceptually, however, this is an extremely important article. The people writing this article think this is a new idea. It???s not I wrote my first paper on genetic low brain reward system and dopamine activity causing addictions and other serious symptoms in 1992. I named this genetic disease Hypoism, Hypo for low reward system (and dopamine) activity caused by a variety of genetic reasons including genetic deficiency of dopamine receptors. This paper has evolved into the current version: http://www.nvo.com/hypoism/hypoismhypothesis/ . My first letter to the editor of the NY Times about this theory is at: http://www.nvo.com/hypoism/nytimesletterstotheeditor/ . My 1996 book, Hypoic's Handbook, discusses the science behind this disease, the derivation of all its symptoms, and the symptom prevention and recovery methods known as Hypoism recovery. In this book I also discuss and solve many of the issues raised by today's article. Many of these issues such as psychology's bias against behavioral genetics have interfered with the dissemination of the Hypoism paradigm, a problem that has injured and killed many addicts and others such as ADHD patients, a subgroup of Hypoism. Under Hypoism the addiction epidemic would have been severely reduced had it not been censored from its inception by the conflicted addiction community.
The field of addictions is doing so poorly because it is being run by the outdated and scientifically disproven hijacked brain hypothesis (my Hypoism Hypothesis paper goes through this disproof) and the public desperately needs to know about the true genetic theory, The Hypoism Paradigm, so that it can decide on its own whether or not to use it as a replacement of the current wrong and ineffective one, the theory being wrongly pushed for non-scientific reasons by NIDA and ASAM. Today's article by Begley is strong evidence for this.
This science goes way beyond whether parents should or shouldn't feel guilty about their children's "misbehavior." They should not. It's about how to understand the origins of this behavior and help these kids correct it. Hypoism does this. Hypoism recovery does this. It's about a completely new human nature paradigm, one that also happens to solve the addiction epidemic and all its consequences. It's time for the public to know abou
Posted By: Ms. Horning @ 08/12/2008 2:23:57 PM

Comment: Can these genes be tested in our children or parents for planning purposes to encourage better parenting? I would be interested in learning about this? Thank you for your research.
- Posted By: parent123 @ 08/19/2008 2:04:10 PM
  
  Comment: I agree, I agree! I suspect my daughter may have this variant gene-now what do I do?
Posted By: mayrasilva @ 08/12/2008 2:09:43 PM

Comment: Here we go again, parents fail to be real parents to their kids and science is trying to say its not their fault. Guess what? It is!!! Stop with all this crap and be a parent, no one said it would be easy. I am raising 3 of my own and 1 nephew (18,17,15,&14) I work full time and it is the hardest thing I have ever done. Get to know their strengths and weak points. Most important of all accept that your life is not you own anymore. Yhey come first. A very hard thing do do in this Me, Me Me society of ours.
Posted By: Alejandra25 @ 08/12/2008 1:54:05 PM

Comment: I am affronted by how much this article has misrepresented research as well as fields of research. Although, there are grains of truth scattered about in it, it is very misleading and the ???facts??? are twisted until they are no longer accurate.

The author(s) make it seem as if one could get a genetic profile of their child, buy some drug ???tailored??? for that genetic profile and thereby raise a near-perfect child. There have been years of studies that show that individual children react differently to the same method, so that a child with an average intelligence will benefit from a program but both a child with a below average or above average intelligence will be negatively affected by the same program. There are so many factors that affect a child???s development that to say that genetics is at a root of it all is simplistic and untrue.

Furthermore, psychologist have spent decades using twin studies and other scientific methods to tease apart behavioral TENDENCIES and whether the primary factor(s) is/are genetics/inheritance and/or environment stimuli. To say that psychologists are ignorant of genetics and that they affect behavioral development is ignorant in and of itself and goes to show the lack of research done for this article.
Posted By: Alejandra25 @ 08/12/2008 1:53:24 PM

Comment: I am affronted by how much this article has misrepresented research as well as fields of research. Although, there are grains of truth scattered about in it, it is very misleading and the ???facts??? are twisted until they are no longer accurate.

The author(s) make it seem as if one could get a genetic profile of their child, buy some drug ???tailored??? for that genetic profile and thereby raise a near-perfect child. There have been years of studies that show that individual children react differently to the same method, so that a child with an average intelligence will benefit from a program but both a child with a below average or above average intelligence will be negatively affected by the same program. There are so many factors that affect a child???s development that to say that genetics is at a root of it all is simplistic and untrue.

Furthermore, psychologist have spent decades using twin studies and other scientific methods to tease apart behavioral TENDENCIES and whether the primary factor(s) is/are genetics/inheritance and/or environment stimuli. To say that psychologists are ignorant of genetics and that they affect behavioral development is ignorant in and of itself and goes to show the lack of research done for this article.
Posted By: soliterry @ 08/12/2008 12:27:09 PM

Comment: Finally, vindicaton! People always thought I was awful when I said I didn't treat my three kids the same way because they were not the same.
- Posted By: breakoutofthebox @ 08/12/2008 7:50:36 PM
  
  Comment: No one can treat their children the same because each is an individual. This doesn't excuse abuse of course, but each child has his or her own reactions to the same thing. I get tired of parents who say they love their children all the same way, this is NOT POSSIBLE. You love your wife differently than your mother than your father than your sibling, of COURSE you love your children differently, you don't love them less for differences, but again, all are not the same. Can't treat them the same, can't love them the same.
Posted By: zeldovich @ 08/12/2008 12:06:43 PM

Comment: This is an extremely poorly written article, even by the standards of the popular press. Take for example, the quote, "But not, it seems, all kids. In about 30 percent, the coils of their DNA carry a glitch, one that leaves their brains with few dopamine receptors, molecules that act as docking ports for one of the neurochemicals that carry our thoughts and emotions. A paucity of dopamine receptors is linked to an inability to avoid self-destructive behavior such as illicit drug use." There is no specification of the particular dopamine receptors claimed to be involved, or whether it globally affects dopamine 1 or 2, etc. The description of the function of dopamine in the brain is not just impoverished, but laughably inaccurate. Neurochemicals do not carry thoughts or emotions. They modulate them. Articles like this may mislead more than they inform and hence Newsweek should be ashamed for publishing it. However, what are we to expect from a magazine that has darkened photographs of criminal defendants on its cover to make him look more menacing?
Posted By: brendanalyst @ 08/12/2008 11:59:57 AM

Comment: I was glad to finally read something that supported my experience. I have two sons, one that is a role model son, he is 22 and one that is and has always been one big problem child. He is 27 and has learned nothing from life experience. Both were raised by two parents, same house, same rules, everything the same. But they are entirely different, and the older child has been exactly like this article describes. I felt sefveral years ago, it had to be a bad 'gene' pool for him. There is no other explanation.
- Posted By: Gina Pera @ 08/16/2008 2:10:27 AM
  
  Comment: Your sons are young enough that your older son most likely could have received medical/therapeutic help for his "bad" genes. It might not be too late, if he has not become hardened by negative feedback from the world.
- Posted By: breakoutofthebox @ 08/12/2008 7:59:21 PM
  
  Comment: dear god! You did the same thing my mom did. He's a BAD boy. That didn't set him up at all. Just plain LABELING will set a child's goals in life. Had my brother been given a loving nurturing label, or attitude I honestly believe that he would not have turned into the drug addict he is, trying to exape from his memories and his label.. Heck he was labeled a bad boy anyway, punished for it whether or not he did anything. But see, my mom always said it wasn't her fault. Not that she was never home, nor that she didn't take care of us, just he was a bad boy and I was a liar. She'll tell you to this day that she was a GOOD mom. Phhhhtt.
  
  You've already labeled your son. If he had lived beyond it, you'd probably still call him the bad one.
  
  I briefly fell into that too. Being called a liar for so many years I figured well heck, I'm going to be called one, I might as well lie. I was punished the same, but had the frigging brains to realize that it wasn't going to help me in any way. My mom on the other hand STILL calls me a liar. You CAN'T call a person BAD or decide that they have the bad gene and expec them to overcome that..
Posted By: aminahyaquin @ 08/12/2008 11:42:59 AM

Comment: Nature and Nurture combine but the one size fits all pop predictions of modern psedo-science are antithetical to healthy human development period.
Children all develop in different ways and at different rates, but enculturation i a HUGE factior. the rpedictable but underestimated impact of mass media and peer group and educational enculturation which is foisted on our kids from cradle to grave are much more powerful factors than spurious research artciles written to make their cheating competuing so-called social scientists famous and prosperous.
Posted By: h.w. @ 08/12/2008 11:17:55 AM

Comment: Nature vs. Nurture was one of the primary concepts I learned while studying psychology, with the clear conclusion that both have equal weight. As in any field, there are certain camps which prefer to cling to one and dismiss the other, but those are not the majority...you should be careful of your sources. On a completely unrelated note, I was an "easy" baby. My mother doesn't understand me at all, and my sister, who was "difficult" has turned out completely different, and much more similar to my mother - although neither wants to admit it, which I think is hilarious.
Posted By: h.w. @ 08/12/2008 11:13:53 AM

Comment: Nature vs. Nurture was one of the primary concepts taught during my studies in psychology, with the conclusion drawn that both have equal weight in the formation of personality. I do recall a discussion where we talked about the different "camps" - just like any field, there are certain groups that like one theory over another. Sounds like you were talking to the wrong people. On a completely unrelated note, I was an "easy"baby, and that sure explains a lot...
Posted By: keliamad @ 08/12/2008 11:07:38 AM

Comment: I am a developmental psychologist and I also must express my confusion and irritation over your claim that "most researchers who study child development ... are uncomfortable with or even suspicious of genetics." Anyone who has taken the most rudimentary, introductory course in developmental psychology must remember the concept that is expressed in virtually every textbook I have ever seen: nature and nurture. Development is the result both of one's genetic endowment and one's experiences. In fact, this is probably the key theme in developmental psychology! I cannot imagine who the so-called "experts" were that the author talked to (a cited source would be nice so we could determine for ourselves if they were experts). This statement undercuts the validity of the whole article, and in fact, I am thinking of using this article this semester in my graduate course as an example of how the popular press promulgates scientific inaccuracy. I expect better from Newsweek.
- Posted By: Gina Pera @ 08/16/2008 2:11:58 AM
  
  Comment: Maybe that's what the good students learned in school. But a whole bunch of psychologists must have been snoozing, if their idea of therapy is any indication.
Posted By: keliamad @ 08/12/2008 11:05:46 AM

Comment: I am a developmental psychologist and I also must express my confusion and irritation over your claim that "most researchers who study child development ... are uncomfortable with or even suspicious of genetics." Anyone who has taken the most rudimentary, introductory course in developmental psychology must remember the concept that is expressed in virtually every textbook I have ever seen: nature and nurture. Development is the result both of one's genetic endowment and one's experiences. In fact, this is probably the key theme in developmental psychology! I cannot imagine who the so-called "experts" were that the author talked to (a cited source would be nice so we could determine for ourselves if they were experts). This statement undercuts the validity of the whole article, and in fact, I am thinking of using this article this semester in my graduate course as an example of how the popular press promulgates scientific inaccuracy. I expect better from Newsweek.
Posted By: nanoreid @ 08/12/2008 10:55:00 AM

Comment: As a parent and a sibling of four, I can tell you that you keep trying until you find something that works. Forget all this hokum about DNA until they can tell us by reading the DNA exactly what methods will and won't work. When will people realize that there never was and never will be a How to manual on parenting.
Posted By: abbily @ 08/11/2008 9:35:17 AM

Comment: As a developmental psychologist, I strongly disagree with your statement that "Most researchers who study child development were trained as psychologists, and???to overgeneralize, but only a little???are uncomfortable with or even suspicious of genetics." Psychologists have a strong history of researching genetic and environmental influences on behavior. Our studies have shown that an interaction of nature and nurture explains virtually every psychological trait. What is new is that we now have the technology to pinpoint exactly how these interactions play out.

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