Accident-Prone? – Is Clumsiness Genetic via Daily Prompt: Roots

Friday night my four year old was screaming at the end of the hall. I ran to rescue him and found that his toe was stuck under the door. 😦

My daughter cried a short time later because she missed the last step coming downstairs and hurt her leg.

My six year old provided a presentation of the bruises he had gained during the week, as we put on his pj’s.

Hubby laughed and said, “I don’t think they got any of my genetics. They got all that clumsiness from you.”

My gracious reply was, “How do you explain their ability to forget everything they are supposed to be doing when the TV is on, the day ends in Y, or the sun is shining?” (Then I stuck out my tongue.) His response, “Maybe they did get one thing from me.”

 Do genes impact one’s clumsiness? Do our parents pass down accident prone propensities?

I did what any modern day academic would do… I Googled it.

After searching “Is clumsiness genetic?”, Google showed 164,000 results. I read about 25 of the articles that looked like they might possess helpful information, but found nothing that medically supports the idea that our genes determine our clumsiness.

There was a great deal of information about learned behaviors though. If our children see that we are frequently distracted and tripped up easily, they, too, will believe that they need to be so busy they make mistakes as well. I found that VERY interesting.

My children witness the mess that is my daily routine. They witness the slamming of my fingers in doors and the bumping of my head on cabinets. They see me trip over shoes on the floor and believe that all of these haphazard episodes are completely normal. So why shouldn’t they, too, have clumsy calamities throughout the day?

I guess the answer is found in my need to slow down. If we allow ourselves greater concentration, maybe we won’t be so easily off-kilter. While science may not substantiate the idea that my ability to fall over a flat surface is passed down to my offspring, it does support the idea that greater mental focus leads to less stress and longer lives.

We can become better at focusing on the present when we limit our multitasking and train our brains to give attention to one thing at a time. Meditation and prayer are proven ways to build up the connectivity in our brains. That connectivity provides clearer thought, more accurate memory, and better physical balance.

Practicing yoga and other sports that require you to hold a position or consistently repeat an action give added oxygen and dexterity to your brain and body. Doing these things with your children will also assist them in overcoming clumsiness. They will benefit from the time spent with you and these healthy practices.

In addition, drinking plenty of water and eating healthy foods play an important role in brain and body health. Your brain can’t keep you balanced if it doesn’t receive balance nutrition.

If you find walls jumping out you and doors dinging your backside one too many times, give yourself a break. Breathe deep. Drink some water. Slow down. Let the clumsiness pass (not onto your kids) but right on past you and your intents.

By: Melanie A. Peters

P.S. I still say some walls do move.