Motherhood isn't just a series of contractions; it's a state of mind. From the moment we know life is inside us, we feel a responsibility to protect and defend that human being.
Erma BombeckRead
The first duty to children is to make them happy. If you have not made them so, you have wronged them. No other good they may get can make up for that.
Interpretation
The primary responsibility of parents is to ensure their children's happiness, above all else.
This quote by Charles Buxton emphasizes the fundamental role parents play in their children's lives. It suggests that the essence of good parenting lies in fostering happiness in children, and failing to do so is a deep disservice. The notion is that no other achievements or advantages provided to children can compensate for a lack of joy and contentment in their upbringing.
In practice
In a parenting seminar discussing the importance of emotional well-being.
Motherhood isn't just a series of contractions; it's a state of mind. From the moment we know life is inside us, we feel a responsibility to protect and defend that human being.
Do the best you can. And remember that the greatest asset you have in this world is those children who you've brought into the world, and for whose nurture and care you're responsible.
I don't think anybody feels like they're a good parent. Or if people think they're good parents, they ought to think again.
Even though my mom was talented and had a college degree, she lived in the era when the conventional wisdom in Dallas was that my dad worked, she was supposed to stay home and take care of the kids, and that was that. There really weren't other opportunities for her, and most of them were volunteer opportunities.
That's the nature of being a parent, Sabine has discovered. You'll love your children far more than you ever loved your parents, and -- in the recognition that your own children cannot fathom the depth of your love -- you come to understand the tragic, unrequited love of your own parents.
There is no experience like having children...If you want the experience of having complete responsibility for another human being, and to learn to love and bond in the deepest way, then you should have children.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.