Nature or Nurture

It has always been controversial on the topic of Nature v.s. Nurture..

For me, I think both nature and nurture works well together but I am more towards the nurture side. I believe, through appropriate teaching, nature can be overcomed.

I was waiting for my train to Changi Aiport this evening. A boy (maybe about pri 1 or K2) asked an elder sister to give him his food in her bag. She replied in Mandarin "Cannot! Will fine $500!" And the boy also doesn't make a fuss.
-- Simple things like obeying the rules, can also being passed down from fellow young peers. Some parents will just ignore such rules and secretly shoved the food to the kids. Worse still, parents do it openly.


Another scene:
When the train is arriving, a boy signalled his parents to move back behind the yellow lines. Parents followed the child's advice and moved back.
- Learning about rules again. Children teaching parents about the rules.


I believe education plays a very big part in moulding a good person. Educating can come in many forms, and it always starts from little little things.

Kids nowadays learn things very fast, and will imitate adults' actions.
Kid A always take the front seat of dad's car.
Dad is a short-tempered man. When Dad drives and the car in front of Dad is probably too slow or made some mistake, Dad horns the car infront and scolded "stupid! no brain!"
Kid A who likes to sit at the front seat, repeatedly experience such scenarios and repeatedly sees/ hears Dad react in this way.
One fine day, Kid A was returning home from school with his nanny. Suddenly, he heard a car horn, and he immediately scolded "stupid uncle! no brain!"
See? Kid A reenacting how Dad behaves.
Nanny corrected Kid A's behaviour by explaining that it is impolite for young children to scold adults stupid, and that if he hears Dad saying this, he should tell Dad that it is impolite.
However, things doesn't change if dad doesn't realise his bad behaviour, and doesn't even refrained himself from saying such things again. It'll be worse if he even introduce punishment to stop the kid from saying such things.


Learning good behaviours always starts from young. Good habits of sharing, taking care of items, addressing adults. How mischievious or playful a child may be naturally, I believe nurture can add even more value to overcome it.

And Oh, media. The kids programme are showing too much of Power Rangers, Ben 10 kinda of violent, fighting, stuff. Who cares that it is to show good always truimph evil? The programme is already "evil" enough to teach my kids fight and shout loudly with the SPD powers.