Q: Dear Todd, is there any part of anger issues that are genetically linked or is it more of a learned behavior? The reason I ask is because my ex’s anger was intensely explosive and my 3 boys display the same type of behavior when angered. My 2 girls manage their anger really well. All five kids had the same exposure to their father’s outbursts, which were modeled for them, which makes me curious as to why.

TODD ANSWERS: We have natural tendencies, but our unique experiences, as well as our personal efforts, have a much greater impact on who we become. No two siblings ever have the same parents because every year parents are growing and changing.