Minihawk
© Photo by Braeden Petruk

Description

Our Daily Challenge - "Fresh"
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This scene -- a boy riding comfortably on his dad's sturdy shoulders, sporting a mini Mohawk, and taking his dad's cues as to which parts of the parade are most interesting -- is the perfect visual metaphor for the "nurture" side of the nature vs. nurture debate.
While both sides have valid points (our genetic composition most definitely provides a certain innate disposition), this specific example plays into the claim that our developmental environment shapes us as people. It's no wonder we learn lots from our parents; we spend the first 4 or so years of our lives almost completely in their company. But sometimes the extent to which children learn to mimic their parents in appearance, speech, mannerisms, and skills, is quite amazing.
Clever studies using pairs of identical twins who were adopted into different families, and fraternal twins raised within the same family have shown that in developmental years, one's environment has the largest impact on their personality. However, as we age and our field of communication and experience diversifies, specific environments no longer have the impact they once had. We lose some of the personality we gained from our immediate family environment, and predispositions within our genes begin to take hold, further developing the basis we grew into as children.
Whatever the reason, or mixture thereof, the connection between these two individuals (even without their Mohawks) was instantly visible. All it takes is a single glance to see that they are an inseparable, unstoppable father/son duo.

Tags

pride day 2012, pride day, pride, portrait, person, people, parenting, parent, parade, ourdailychallenge, odc, mohawk, mirror, kids, kid, edmonton, double, dad, children, child, canada, boys, boy, alberta