07-05-2025
Are you a 'genetic nurturer'? Parents' abilities 'rub off' on their children, even if they didn't pass down intelligence genes
Children with gifted parents tend to do better in school even if they didn't inherit the intelligence genes, a study found.
Researchers say parents' natural abilities can 'rub off' on their offspring because they are more likely to spend time reading to them and helping with their homework.
Dr José Morosoli, of University College London, said: 'Through this project, we show how genetics and environment are deeply intertwined, challenging the idea that inherited genetics alone determine outcomes.
'We found that both direct inheritance of genes and the environment shaped by parents' genetics influence children's education and mental health. Ignoring these indirect genetic effects can lead to misleading conclusions.
'The impact of genetics and environment changes as children grow, suggesting that early interventions focusing on parents might prove fruitful, while later efforts could benefit from targeting the children themselves.'
The researchers reviewed 12 studies involving 38,654 families from the UK, Australia, the Netherlands, Iceland and the United States, along with genetic data from 4,580 UK families.
They found the children of parents with high intelligence had better educational outcomes, even where they did not inherit those genetic traits themselves.
The researchers also found that children's mental health and behaviour may be influenced by their parents', despite their own genetic makeup.
The strongest effects were found around the age of three and involved parental genetic predispositions motivation, perseverance, emotional regulation and self-control.
This finding suggests that parents with better non-cognitive skills may be especially able to support their children early in life.
For both educational and mental health related outcomes, indirect genetic influences were stronger in early childhood.
Professor Jean-Baptiste Pingault, of UCL, said: 'Our findings echo evidence that family resources and opportunities partly shape children's developmental outcomes – further illustrating the importance of providing consistent and developmentally appropriate support to children and their families.
'This research supports the UK Government's calls for life-course approaches to mental health and development, highlighting the importance of early intervention and sustained support throughout childhood.'
