Have you ever looked at a boy or a man and thought: “He looks exactly like his mom.”
Well, maybe you are right because it’s really common when a boy looks like his mother, which runs counter to the saying: like father, like son.
So why does it happen? Does the boy look like his father too? What inheritance will he get if he looks like his mother?
In this article, we will dig more into the science of DNA and some traits from the mother that a boy can have.
When A Boy Looks Like His Mother – Why?
The father determines the gender of the future child.
If it is an Y-chromosome, it will be a boy, but these chromosomes bear fewer genes than their counterparts – X-chromosomes.
This explains why a boy usually resembles his mother like a chip off the old block.
On the other hand, when a baby receives the X-chromosomes from its mother and an X-chromosome from its father, it will be a cute baby girl.
So we have the answer to the question: Why do sons look more like their mothers? We all think that girls resemble mothers and boys resemble fathers.
However, scientists have shown that it doesn’t always happen like that, as we explained. So when you are pregnant, you can expect the baby to be a mini-me if it’s a boy.
Do sons look like their fathers? Of course, there are some cases when a boy doesn’t look like his mother at all because the single gene of the father can be more dominant.
Or some Y-chromosomes are involved in male genital development, so the boy and his dad are somewhat alike.
Still, some children don’t look like either father or mother until they grow up; they start to have a few traits and looks from their parents, including eye color and hair gene (mom and son both have black hair, for example).
Remember that development is a continuous process. As children grow older, genes naturally turn on as a result of hormones and environmental exposures.
What Traits Do Sons Inherit From Their Mother?
What does it mean when baby looks like mom? It’s not just the look that sons inherit from their mother; it’s also the personalities and moves.
Here are some noticeable traits that a boy can have from his mom.
1. Sleeping Style
It could be due to your genes when you lay down your son after a long day, and he falls soundly asleep.
The mother can also influence a child’s susceptibility to sleep disorders and difficulties.
Still, it’s impossible to say how much is because of DNA and how much it comes from environmental factors.
In addition, as mothers spend more time with their children than fathers, they often have a greater influence on their children’s sleeping habits.
However, a genetic link is only a part of the equation regarding sleeping habits.
Sleep environment, health, and a child’s developmental stage all have an impact on a child’s sleep behaviors.
2. Temperament – Intelligence
Your baby’s temperament may be influenced more by genetic explanation. Your son can have the same character as you, such as courage, self-control, self-discipline, and so on.
But the environment in which a kid grows up can also affect their temper and behavior when they mature.
Next is the son’s intelligence. The genes that control intelligence are found on the X chromosome. This is why sons inherit their mothers’ wisdom.
However, only up to 40% of a mother’s intelligence is inherited; the rest is acquired throughout their lives.
On average, boys’ IQs differ by about 15 points from their mothers. To reach his fullest, you can apply some large motor activities for infants to stimulate his intelligence.
3. Signs Of Aging
Both baby boys and baby girls are influenced by mitochondrial DNA.
That means that both boys and girls get their mitochondria—and the genetic traits associated with them—from Mom.
Again, wrinkles, crow’s feet, and laugh lines, are all popular physical signs.
Environmental factors like free radicals, UV ray exposure, and sun exposure impair a person’s skin and appearance. Hair color and future height will also be affected.
It’s worth mentioning that the mitochondria can be harmed by free radicals from the sun’s UV radiation and other environmental variables, causing them to mutate.
This mitochondrial mutation is what your child inherits. So, mom, you’d better protect your skin with good sun cream!
4. Exercise Endurance
Some people might think that the kid’s athletic abilities come from the “masculinity” of the father; however, that is not entirely true at all.
Most human hereditary traits passed down to the new generation actually come from the mother, including stamina and physical abilities.
According to research by the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2005, a mother who exercises regularly can greatly strengthen their baby and enhance their future physical development.
Meanwhile, the father’s single gene plays a slightly smaller role. Physical activities can help enhance a mother’s well-being.
Why Do Kids Look More Like One Parent Than The Other?
Why do children resemble one parent more than the other, even though they are made up of equal parts of both of their parents’ DNA?
Why do boys tend to look like their mom and girls tend to look like their dad?
Your baby’s appearance results from their genetic make-up and the many combinations of DNA that work to shape who they are.
Because of the combination of genes, some become dominant, while others are suppressed, and others will never occur.
Although there is no exact science for how two people blend to make one look the way it does, there is some understanding of how babies develop the features and why some are more prominent than others.
Conclusions
It is interesting to discover the identical traits of a baby with its mother and father.
Sure, genes play a major role in forming the child’s identity via heredity, but you will be surprised by the fact that when a boy looks like his mother, most of his traits come from the mother’s lifestyle!
As a result, the mother’s health is the most important matter if you want to keep the baby healthy.
It is recommended to take yoga exercises and eat homemade food to maintain a healthy mind and physical ability for both the mother and the future baby during pregnancy.
Thorough medical care is also very important.
Thank you for reading!
