Drawing upon her rich experience of life, Prudence (Prudie to her friends) responds to questions about manners, personal relations, politics, and other subjects. Please send your questions for publication to prudence@slate.com. Queries should not exceed 200 words in length. Please indicate how you wish your letter to be signed, preferably including your location.

Dear Prudence,

The Harris book (The Nurture Assumption: Why Children Turn Out the Way They Do, by Judith Rich Harris) suggests that parents contribute nothing to the development of their children. What do you think?

--Minnesota Contingent

Dear Minn,

Prudie has only dragonfly knowledge of this book. That is, she has skimmed the surface by reading a few reviews. The title suggests the author is a childless geneticist. The research, however, is data-driven and well-supported. Though controversial, the theory that genes and peers play pivotal roles in development cannot be dismissed.

While genetic makeup and peer influence can override some elements of the home environment, parental attention, input, and example cannot be written off. Prudie hopes the Harris book will not encourage parents everywhere to leave their child-rearing duties to the neighbor kids and DNA.

--Prudie, developmentally

Dear Prudie,

My wife and I recently had our second child, a boy. We have a problem concerning gift etiquette. We received a beautiful blanket from some out-of-town friends whom we see about once a year. The blanket has inscribed on it--in large letters--the baby's name and date of birth. The problem is that he was born one week earlier than the blanket says.