nurture
     n 1: the properties acquired as a consequence of the way you were
          treated as a child [syn: {raising}, {rearing}]
     2: raising someone to be an accepted member of the community;
        "they debated whether nature or nurture was more
        important" [syn: {breeding}, {bringing up}, {fostering}, {fosterage},
         {raising}, {rearing}, {upbringing}]
     v 1: help develop, help grow; "nurture his talents" [syn: {foster}]
     2: bring up; "raise a family"; "bring up children" [syn: {rear},
         {raise}, {bring up}, {parent}]
     3: provide with nourishment; "We sustained ourselves on bread
        and water"; "This kind of food is not nourishing for young
        children" [syn: {nourish}, {sustain}]
Source: WordNet® 2.0