Before long, as MacKenzie recalls, the nature view came to
play as the cause of the differences in children’s behaviors. According to this view,
“differences in temperament were due largely to hereditary or inborn
influences”. Even
though this nature view explains the reasons why children respond
differently to the same parenting methods, it does not clarify “why
children with extreme traits adapt and adjust better than others”
(15). Once again, the
need for a better theory persists.
MacKenzie emphasizes that neither the nature view nor the
nurture view could adequately show the differences in
temperaments. He
asserts that “the nurture view overemphasized the role of parenting
and left parents feel guilty”.
On the other hand, “[the nature view] underemphasized the
role of parenting and left parents feeling helpless and resigned”
(15). The need for a
better explanation carried on.
Fast forward to the 1980s, with the advance in genetic
research, experts “proposed an interactive model that incorporated
the influences of both nature and nuture”, MacKenzie notes. This theory suggests that
“both nature and nurture contribute, in varying degree, to the
development of a child’s temperament”. MacKenzie says that “the
continuous interaction between biological factors (inborn traits)
and environmental factors (parenting)” shape the child’s
temperament. He adds
that “the child brings his nature into the arena, and parents
provide the nurture” (15-16).
It is also worthy to note that this parent-child interaction
happens even inside the mother’s womb. Matt Ridley, author of the book The
Agile Gene: How Nature Turns on Nurture,
awarded for the best science book published in 2003 from the
National Academies of Science, explains that the low-active genes of
inborn accounted for antisocial behaviors are influenced “by changes
in the womb, by the environment, and by other factors”
(2003).
Nobody knows where the direction of the nature-nurture debate
heads, but one truth remains: parenting strong-willed children age
two to six is a daunting task because parents lack experiences,
support, and reliable resources to help them effectively deal with
their strong-willed children.
Before exploring the nature of a strong-willed child, it is
helpful to understand the fundamental temperaments that normal
children have. Dr.
Miller Ferrer, the Associate Dean for the UF/IFAS Florida
Cooperative Extension Service, and Angela Falcon write the article
“Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Understanding Your Grandchild's
Behavior System - Part 1” in December 2001 to help children
caregivers understand the age-appropriate expectations of
children. In this
article, she explains that most children display one of three types
of temperament: easy, slow to warm-up, and difficult. According to Miller, an easy
child is one who “follows rules most of the time, accepts change
easily, and generally remains in a good mood”, a slow to warm-up
child is one who is “negative in mood and adjusts slowly to new
experiences”, and a difficult child is one who has “many temper
tantrums, gets overly excited, argues and does not adapt well to new
situations” (2001).
Parenting this difficult child (as the strong-willed child is
called by some experts) is what other leading experts want to
research.
