QuoteProject
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.
Benjamin Spock
ShareWTF𝕏

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

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
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

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
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
Oh, what a tangled web do parents weave, when they think that their children are naive.
Ogden NashRead
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
The moment your kid's born you realize no one knows anything. No one goes to classes. You just have a kid. You can read all the books you like, but unfortunately none of our kids have read the books so they don't care. You're basically making it up as you go along.
Hugh JackmanRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.