Children who grow up getting nutrition from plant foods rather than meats have a tremendous health advantage. They are less likely to develop weight problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and some forms of cancer
Benjamin SpockRead
Every child senses, with all the horse sense that's in him, that any parent is angry inside when children misbehave and they dread more the anger that is rarely or never expressed openly, wondering how awful it might be.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Children can intuitively feel their parents' unexpressed anger over misbehavior, which can create anxiety about what may happen next.
This quote highlights the deep emotional intelligence that children possess, allowing them to pick up on the subtle cues of their parents' feelings—specifically, the fear of unspoken anger. It emphasizes the importance of open communication and the potential psychological impact of parental anger that is not expressed directly, suggesting that children may live in dread of unknown consequences when misbehavior occurs.
Themes
ChildrenParentsAngerMisbehaviorCommunication
In practice
Example use cases
In a parenting workshop focused on emotional communication, this quote can illustrate the importance of expressing feelings.
More from Benjamin Spock
All quotes →Don't be afraid to trust your own common sense.
Benjamin SpockRead
Don't take too seriously all that the neighbors say. Don't be overawed by what the experts say. Don't be afraid to trust your own common sense.
Benjamin SpockRead
On the average, older parents are more flexible, tolerant, understanding, and happy in child care.
Benjamin SpockRead
Our greatest hope is to bring up children inspired by their opportunities for being helpful and loving.
Benjamin SpockRead
What good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is usually best after all.
Benjamin SpockRead
Similar quotes
Spend enough time wrangling a toddler, and you get good at being kind but firm. Like your child, you must be doggedly single-minded when it matters.
Celeste NgRead
There's nothing to be gained, and much to be lost, in trying to bend every child to match a one-size-fits-all notion of what it means to be a boy or girl of a specific age. Better to set a few parameters and then go with the flow. Call it 'jazz parenting.'
Ezekiel EmanuelRead
The real questions for parents should be: "Are you engaged? Are you paying attention?" If so, plan to make lots of mistakes and bad decisions. Imperfect parenting moments turn into gifts as our children watch us try to figure out what went wrong and how we can do better next time. The mandate is not to be perfect and raise happy children. Perfection doesn't exist, and I've found what makes children happy doesn't always prepare them to be courageous, engaged adults.
Bren BrownRead
That's exactly the way parents develop positive, successful kids. Don't look for the flaws, warts, and blemishes. Look for the gold, not for the dirt; the good, not the bad. Look for the positive aspects of life. Like everything else, the more good qualities we look for in our children, the more good qualities we are going to find.
Zig ZiglarRead
Another parent's different approach raises the possibility that you've made a mistake with your child. We simply can't tolerate that because we fear that any mistake, no matter how minor, could have devastating consequences. So we proclaim the superiority of our own choices. We've lost sight of the fact that people have preferences.
Ayelet WaldmanRead
Two worst things as can happen to a child is never to have his own way - or always to have it.
Frances Hodgson BurnettRead