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mzteris

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40. hmmm - I didn't like dolls, either, but

Fri Sep 28, 2012, 07:54 PM

Sep 2012

I love being a "mommy". I wanted kids, I love kids. As much as I gripe about being tired of raising kids (over half my life) - if I weren't so damn old and tired, I'd want more. (Though truthfully babies are much more fun than teenagers! )

So not sure about the complete validity. Though I think I'm on board with the whole "mommy gene" thing. You either are, or you aren't. HOWEVER, I think environment can play a very large part in how that "gene" may be nurtured or expressed.

You can have the gene to be a great musician, but if you've never been exposed to music of any kind, will you become one? If Baryshnikov had been born in a country without ballet? If Michael Jordan had been born where basketball is unheard of? What would they have become?

One can have a genetic predilection, but environment has it's influences.

Not that mother was all that "nurturing" actually. She was, but she wasn't. (It's hard to explain.)

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Is There a Gene for Motherhood? [View all] yurbud Sep 2012 OP

here's a wild ass speculation to chew on - hedgehog Sep 2012 #1

then no one in New York City, Hong Kong, or Mexico City would ever get pregnant. yurbud Sep 2012 #4

I didn't play with dolls when I was little. yellerpup Sep 2012 #2

+1 Autumn Colors Sep 2012 #13

I always loved animals. yellerpup Sep 2012 #15

Same here KT2000 Sep 2012 #17

Since we are born with the plumbing, yellerpup Sep 2012 #19

Years ago I recall KT2000 Sep 2012 #46

I remember something of a study like that. yellerpup Sep 2012 #65

Good for you. I mean, I admire someone who follows the..."To thine own self be true" BlueJazz Sep 2012 #26

Family pressure can be enormous when it comes yellerpup Sep 2012 #66

Neither have I. I always thought there was something wrong with me. smirkymonkey Sep 2012 #38

There is nothing wrong with not reproducing. yellerpup Sep 2012 #67

hmmm - I didn't like dolls, either, but mzteris Sep 2012 #40

I enjoy kids, too. yellerpup Sep 2012 #68

I never played with dolls or really craved kids. indie_voter Sep 2012 #71

you and me both NJCher Sep 2012 #55

It's a good thing we didn't live next door to each other yellerpup Sep 2012 #69

Same here - never wanted children csziggy Sep 2012 #60

Babies make me nervous. yellerpup Sep 2012 #70

If there is, my mom definitely didn't have it. Liberal Veteran Sep 2012 #3

could be there are people who act against their "preference" like gays who marry opposite sex. yurbud Sep 2012 #5

question for you LV Skittles Sep 2012 #14

It doesn't really upset me. Liberal Veteran Sep 2012 #16

(((LV))) That's awfully rough. Hope the rest of your family was really good to you. Tigress DEM Sep 2012 #54

Makes sense to me. I had absolutely no interest in being a mother. gateley Sep 2012 #6

Neither did I, but I had two children. RebelOne Sep 2012 #42

There is no gay gene. It would have been extinguished. immoderate Sep 2012 #7

I've read some researchers think lefthandedness may be caused from valerief Sep 2012 #10

Yeah, gestation is chaotic. immoderate Sep 2012 #11

I'm left handed. However, I wasn't always left handed. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #18

I dunno. I'm a southpaw, my brother's a southpaw, and my sister's a rightie. However, my mother was valerief Sep 2012 #33

Lefthandedness, doesn't usually run in families. surrealAmerican Sep 2012 #45

I was 34 when I became a mom. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #51

Probably because we tend to be accident prone. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #53

I have the opposite problem. I'm right handed, but my left handed dad taught me to tie my shoes yurbud Sep 2012 #77

I've read recently the reduced lifespan thing has been debunked. valerief Sep 2012 #57

Here's an article about a scientist who thinks there's a righthanded gene. valerief Sep 2012 #59

No, my hand is straight when I write. The paper is turned. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #50

I'm a hooker leftie, and I've read that most lefties are! valerief Sep 2012 #58

Lol. notadmblnd Sep 2012 #64

I was always left-handed and I my mother was right-handed RebelOne Sep 2012 #43

someone came up with a good theory about why a gay gene would survive... yurbud Sep 2012 #23

So how do you pass on the "gay gene?" immoderate Sep 2012 #31

Aren't many gay men and lesbian women married to members of the valerief Sep 2012 #34

So their gay children would have to pass it on. immoderate Sep 2012 #37

No, their gay or straight children would carry the gene and pass it on valerief Sep 2012 #39

in the past, gays would still marry the opposite sex and have their gay relationships yurbud Sep 2012 #62

I do have "credentials in biology..." mike_c Sep 2012 #27

So where is the propensity to those behaviors originated? immoderate Sep 2012 #30

there are lots of theories.... mike_c Sep 2012 #48

Got it. Food for thought. immoderate Sep 2012 #72

We know so little about genetics but if it IS genetic, you know our friends will lobby to "cure" it. Tigress DEM Sep 2012 #56

LGBT folks sometimes have babies. Zorra Sep 2012 #63

You're correct in that no one has found a gay gene 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #80

Gene Tierney dipsydoodle Sep 2012 #8

Bwahahaha! I definitely don't have the country music gene. valerief Sep 2012 #9

Lack of the country music gene gives one a 20 point advantage on their IQ score. Dawson Leery Sep 2012 #12

There must be a gene for parenthood... olddad56 Sep 2012 #20

I think it is the second x chromosome -- can't be a mother without it. Texas Lawyer Sep 2012 #21

Always loved kids and animals. Sister and brother liked animals kiranon Sep 2012 #22

Maybe if this gets publicized, we'd leave those people to be free to go their own way yurbud Sep 2012 #24

I've always said I was "born that way" in re to being Child-Free REP Sep 2012 #25

I think it's great if people who feel no need to procreate are allowed to ejpoeta Sep 2012 #28

For me, like my eye color, it wasn't a choice - I've always been uninterested in children REP Sep 2012 #32

when i say choice, i mean that you don't HAVE to have kids. ejpoeta Sep 2012 #35

I can totally believe that. I've never had any maternal desires at all. kestrel91316 Sep 2012 #29

When I see a bunch of women gathered around saying ooh and ahh so cute undeterred Sep 2012 #36

Me, too!!!! valerief Sep 2012 #41

We got the dog nurturers gene instead! undeterred Sep 2012 #44

I doubt it's a single gene. HuckleB Sep 2012 #47

everything is more complicated than just genes. yurbud Sep 2012 #61

I would have probably been just as happy without kids. HuckleB Sep 2012 #74

Downs syndrome or something else? yurbud Sep 2012 #75

Just didn't get pregnant. HuckleB Sep 2012 #76

A certain lack of genetic variability in the parents for the latter? TheMadMonk Sep 2012 #49

"Scientific" justification for social engineering. Cerridwen Sep 2012 #52

I never played with dolls either HockeyMom Sep 2012 #73

Mom genes. I haz them. Arugula Latte Sep 2012 #78

That would mean that certain traditionally girl type games 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #79

I have a daughter and had notions of brainwashing her to be a tomboy... yurbud Sep 2012 #81

I suspect quite a lot of gendered behavior 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #82

if they exist, that's fine, as long as we give people who don't have them latitude yurbud Sep 2012 #90

Of course 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #93

I recall a really weird specific issue like this: a sports fan gene yurbud Sep 2012 #95

Interesting. I hadn't heard of that study 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #97

My girls will dote on their dolls one minute and then kick around the soccer ball Jennicut Sep 2012 #84

yep--but they have preferences too. Certainly individual ones and it seems like yurbud Sep 2012 #89

Some people don't like the idea that it is not hard wired treestar Sep 2012 #85

Occams razor 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #86

every society previously has had roles for the genders treestar Sep 2012 #87

You're confusing trends with anecdotes 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #88

girls would prefer sports to playing dolls treestar Sep 2012 #91

"But behavioral traits - both sexes are inherently the same." 4th law of robotics Sep 2012 #92

How can it be known when they talk? treestar Sep 2012 #94

"94. How can it be known when they talk? " 4th law of robotics Oct 2012 #96

Hmmm. I think I always wanted to be a mother. Jennicut Sep 2012 #83