The Orchid and the Dandelion

A few years ago I came across an article in the Atlantic about parenting and genetics called "The Science of Success".  The general idea, sometimes referred to as the Orchid and the Dandelion, describes the interplay between nature and nurture in terms of the effects that parenting and environments have on the ways in which our genetics are expressed. 

When I first read this article, I woke my husband up just to tell him about it!  I was so excited!  This made so much sense to me as a parent and a teacher!  This is going to revolutionize the way we interact with children and look at mental illness I proclaimed!  That was five years ago and I still think this theory is a game changer.






The theory, which is still being tested, says that the "children who suffer most from bad environments also profit the most from good ones" (quoted from the article linked above).  This makes sense to me.  As a public school teacher, I recognized that many kids do just fine in the structure of our public school system...but I have also witnessed some children STRUGGLING in school.  The environment just isn't set up for some kids.  Sitting in chairs when their bodies want to move, digesting material that doesn't interest them, held to a standard they feel they cannot reach, compared to their peers and feeling ashamed for performing less than the top of the class.  I have taught so many orchids in the public system and it's heart breaking!  I feel I should add that I taught in a good community with loving families.  These were "good kids".  In the end, this was just not an environment set up for orchid children to blossom. 



Recognizing this, I naturally started to wonder, if these kids are the orchids of the class, what do they need to blossom?  My conclusions were simple yet difficult to implement in our current institutional framework; freedom, respect, love, and nature.



As I thought more about the orchid hypothesis (a.k.a plasticity hypothesis, the sensitivity hypothesis, or the differential-susceptibility hypothesis if you want to Google it by a different name), is that these orchid children actually magnify for all of us the environments that everyone blossoms or struggles in.  Really, all children reach their full potential in an environment that provides freedom of choice, respect for personhood, and unconditional love.  A dandelion will also become a healthier, more robust plant in good soil with ample water and sun.  Shouldn't we want all our children to reach their full potential?  The orchids show us when we are on the right track. 




At We Learn Naturally, we seem to be attracting some parents whom I suspect are orchids themselves.  They are intelligent, gentle, loving parents who are aware of how the learning environment impacts  their children.   We have also spoken to parents of "orchid" children.  There is a feeling of relief as they share their story and articulate how our program offerings fit with the needs of their children.  The trickier part is actually convincing the parents of dandelion children to make the leap.  How do you show parents of kids who are essentially doing just fine that life could be even better?


I'd love to hear your thoughts!








P.S.  I really love dandelions.  This flower is a beauty in all stages of it's life, nourishing for bees and bugs (humans too!), a prolific bloomer, and a steadfast multiplier.  What's not to love? ;)