You are totally right, TAdams. Although children are not completely “blank slates” - they each are unique right from the start, and their own particular flars and gifts manifest in course of time, raising ill or well makes a huge vital difference in how they turn out.
There are alwasy some who turn out ill despite the best efforts of parents etc, and some who turn out well despite a terrible upbringing or bad influences.
But the general rule applies in the vast majority of cases. And those with malignant upbringings often carry scars, or keep working out the bugs (so to speak) for decades.
Exactly right! As always you state it perfectly. :)