When working with children, families and early years practitioners, one of the foundational enquiries you will inevitably encounter is the question: What makes children who they are? Are they products of their genes and biology (nature), or are they shaped primarily by their environments, experiences, parenting and culture (nurture)? The answer accepted by modern developmental psychology, neuroscience and family‑work practice is that it is neither one nor the other; rather, it is an interplay of nature and nurture. But for practitioners working with children and families, it is crucial to understand what each of these forces means, how they operate, and why that knowledge matters in everyday work with children who may come from a wide range of backgrounds, including those facing disadvantage.
What do we mean by “nature”?
“Nature” refers to the biological inheritance, the genetic blueprint and the innate predispositions that a child brings into the world. From the moment of conception, a unique combination of genes passes from parent to child, influencing traits such as physical characteristics, temperament, cognitive potential and even vulnerability to specific challenges. As one source explains, while a genotype provides the inherited code, the phenotype, the observable characteristic, results from the interaction of those genes with environmental influences over time. For example, some children may be born with a temperamental tendency towards high reactivity or sensitivity; others might have a genetic propensity for stronger verbal or spatial reasoning.
Research has shown that genes can play a substantial role in explaining differences in traits among children. For instance, studies at King’s College London analysed over 40,000 children and found that parental genes linked to cognitive and non‑cognitive skills influence children’s educational outcomes; not just through direct inheritance but also through the environment parents provide. Another twin‑research study found that about 47% of the variance in sensitivity (a personality trait) could be accounted for by genetics, with the remainder attributed to environmental factors. These findings suggest that nature is a strong contributor.
Nevertheless, nature does not imply deterministic fate. Genetic predispositions create potential, but how that potential is realised depends significantly on context. The immature brain of a child is highly plastic, meaning it can be shaped and moulded by experience, environment and interaction. One developmental resource emphasises that “the transformations of development are more unpredictable as the neurobiological processes are ‘triggered’ by the environment and, in turn, ‘interpreted’ by the person in individual ways.” In other words, nature sets the stage, but nurture writes much of the play.
What about “nurture”?
“Nurture” encompasses the broad domain of environmental and experiential factors that shape a child’s development. This includes parenting style, early attachment relationships, the physical environment (home, school, neighbourhood), educational opportunities, peer influences, cultural values, nutrition, and even stress or trauma. From the earliest years, the interplay of interactions, relationships and stimulation – or lack thereof – has profound effects on cognitive, emotional, social and behavioural development.
In practical terms, for those working with children and families, nurture is about what the child experiences: Are they in an environment where their emotional needs are met? Are their relationships stable, responsive and supportive? Do they have access to books, play, safe spaces, interaction and enrichment? Are they in an early years setting where they can explore, form relationships, be challenged and supported? The nurture side of development also means recognising how family stress, poverty, lack of resources, and instability can interfere with a child’s ability to flourish.
One large‑scale study looked at children attending state primary schools in England and found that the socio‑economic composition of the school (percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals) and the family poverty level influenced internalising and externalising behavioural problems in 7‑year‑olds. Research from the University of York and University College London found that boys from disadvantaged family backgrounds benefited most from early schooling, which helped to narrow the skill gap with peers from more advantaged backgrounds. Thus, nurture has a decisive shaping role, especially in vulnerable contexts.
How nature and nurture interact; key concepts for children, families and educators
Rather than asking whether nature or nurture is more important, modern research emphasises interaction, transaction and dynamic influence. Genes may predispose children to certain traits, but environment and experience can amplify, suppress or redirect those tendencies. For example, the concept of epigenetics explores how environmental experiences can turn genes on or off, thereby influencing how underlying genetic risk or potential is expressed. The early years programme at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Foundation Trust describes this: “infants learn and adapt to their environments… and children’s brains are shaped by environmental influences and stimulation of physical, emotional, social, cultural and cognitive nature.”
From a practical standpoint, this means: A child may have a genetic predisposition for higher cognitive ability, but if they grow up in an under‑stimulating environment, or in a family experiencing chaos, stress or neglect, that potential may not be realised. Conversely, a child with more modest biological predispositions may flourish in a wealthy, responsive, structured, nurturing family and educational environment.
For families and early years practitioners, this has many implications. It reinforces that no child is fixed in potential at birth; instead, every child’s development is an unfolding process shaped by what happens after birth and how. It emphasises the importance of the early years, when neural pathways are forming rapidly, and the value of supportive relationships, responsive caregiving, safe and stimulating environments. It also highlights that support for children does not stop at genetics: we as practitioners and parents have the capacity to create environments that enhance growth, reduce risk and build resilience.
Family context and the influence of disadvantage
Nowhere is the nature‑nurture interplay more clearly visible than in the context of family disadvantage. Children who grow up in families facing poverty, low parental education, unemployment or unstable living conditions are statistically more likely to experience deficits in academic achievement, emotional well-being and social outcomes. These adverse outcomes are not simply the result of genetic makeup, but of multiple environmental stresses interacting with biological predispositions.
For example, the Nuffield Foundation has initiated a major longitudinal project into “Long‑term outcomes of high‑achieving disadvantaged children”, which investigates how children from socio‑economically disadvantaged backgrounds who performed well at primary school fare in the long run. The research highlights that even high‑achieving children from disadvantaged backgrounds often face barriers that limit realising their full potential, showing that nurture (in this case, disadvantage, limited resources, lower expectations, less access) still plays a significant role.
Another UK report on improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children (published by the House of Commons) shows that in England 2022‑23, 25 % of disadvantaged pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and Maths GCSEs compared to 52 % of non‑disadvantaged peers, a 27 percentage point gap. This underscores how environment and opportunity differentials (nurture) affect outcomes.
A Cambridge University study analysing data from more than 240,000 students across 74 countries found that the underperformance of disadvantaged children is not simply about mindset or character but stems from structural and environmental issues.
For families, practitioners and coaches working with children and parents, what this means is that children from disadvantaged households may require additional, targeted support, enriched environments, early intervention, and opportunities to mitigate the impact of risk factors. Because nature may offer potential, but nurture can enable or restrict that potential from being realised. It means working in partnership with families, recognising the impact of socio‑economic stress, and advocating for environments (home, school, community) that support the child’s development.
Practical implications for coaching, parenting and practice
Understanding the nature‑nurture interplay has direct practical application:
First, it reminds practitioners and parents that potential is not destiny. A child’s genetic starting point does not preclude change. Early supportive relationships, enriched environments, consistent emotional and cognitive stimulation, stable caregiving, all of these nurturing factors matter hugely.
Second, for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, early years interventions (for instance, pre‑school programmes, responsive parenting support, high‑quality childcare) are critically important. As the research from the University of York and UCL shows, disadvantaged children who access high‑quality early schooling can narrow the attainment gap.
Third, for families, it emphasises that as parents or caregivers, you matter. Even though children have biological predispositions, the environment you provide – the emotional climate, the opportunities, the relationships – has a shaping effect.
Fourth, for practitioners working with children and families, it means adopting a strengths‑based approach: identify and nurture the child’s talents (nature) while also enhancing the environment (nurture), especially for those with additional risk factors.
Fifth, for coaches and therapists, recognising the interaction of nature and nurture means that interventions should address both: support the child’s individual temperament (acknowledging that some children may need more scaffolding or different strategies) and also attend to the family context, relationships, environment, and systemic factors.
A balanced reflection
In the early years of your practice, you may hear phrases such as “genetics determines everything” or “environment is all that matters”. These are both simplistic. A more accurate metaphor is that nature provides the blueprint, while nurture builds the house. Without a strong blueprint, you may not achieve a complex skyscraper, but even the best blueprint will not become a home without the building materials, the foundation, the construction team and the environment to erect it.
As professional working with children and families, this means we are not restricted by what a child “got at birth”, nor are you merely a passive observer of the environment. We are an active agent of nurture, through our practice, our engagement with parents, our interventions, our design of environments and our understanding of relationships. Families and children benefit from practitioners who appreciate this dynamic interplay, who recognise that children have individual biological make‑ups and temperaments, but also that these are in constant dialogue with their surroundings.
The debate of nature versus nurture is no longer posed as an either/or question. Contemporary research, informed by genetics, neuroscience and developmental science, tells us that children’s development is shaped by both inherited predispositions and their experiential environments. For early years educators, coaches, therapists and family‑support practitioners, this means seeing children as unique individuals with potential, working within systems of family, community and culture that can either support or hinder that potential. Recognising the roles of nature and nurture and the ways they interact empowers you to collaborate with parents, design richer environments, and support children, especially those who face greater risks due to disadvantage, so that they can flourish. Your role is part of their nurture, and in doing so, you honour their nature.
To learn more about how nature and nurture shape children’s development, you could read What Makes Us Think? By Jean‑Pierre Changeux and Paul Ricoeur, which explores the fascinating interplay between the brain, human nature, and culture. For a more child-focused perspective, I also recommend The Whole-Brain Child by Daniel J. Siegel and Tina Payne Bryson, which offers practical strategies to support children’s emotional and cognitive growth. These books provide both theoretical insights and practical guidance to deepen your understanding of children and how we can support their development effectively.