Unknown (Parenting Expert)

It's where you live.

Why?

Because out-of-home influences are more powerful in shaping the life course of your child than in-home influences are.

And those out-of-home influences are peer groups, other adults, neighborhoods, resources, schools.

and the larger community that you made available to this child.

That is how you shape your child's life course.

The second biggest influence is also out of your hands, and that's genetics.

And you don't get to determine that.

But if you think parenting is so influential, let me give you two findings that have been replicated many times.

When we follow up twins, we are able to calculate how much of their behavior is due to parenting within family environment.

And here's what we find.

The peak years of parental influence are below 7.

From 7 on to 12, it drops dramatically.

After 15, it's 6%.

Six percent of the variation in a teenager's behavior is how their parents raise them.

And after age 21, it's zero.

There is no influence of parenting on any psychological trait after the age of 21.

Now, do not mistake what I am saying.

The knowledge your child possesses, what they know is clearly a function of exposure in the environment.

But their traits, their abilities, their makeup, their personality is not.