Quotes About Childhood

How can children bombarded from birth by noise, frenetic schedules, and the helter-skelter caretaking of a fast-paced adult world learn to analyze, reflect, ponder? How can they use quiet inner conversation to build personal realities, sharpen and extend their visual reasoning?

Children surrounded by fast-paced visual stimuli (TV, videos, computer games) at the expense of face-to-face adult modeling, interactive language, reflective problem-solving, creative play, and sustained attention may be expected to arrive at school unprepared for academic learning—and to fall farther behind and become increasingly "unmotivated" as the years go by.

Wounded, narcissistic parents may need a grateful child. A father who was unpopular or clumsy as a child may need an athlete. A parent afraid of his or her own anger may need an acting-out child. The real child, the child who was meant to grow and develop into a self in his or her own right, is often never seen. Even if Joan's interest had been in science or math, her mother needed a dancer—and children will make every effort to be what is expected of them.

Overwhelming evidence in resiliency research indicates that a child's ability to endure and rise above painful childhood adversity depends on the presence of at least one caring, nurturing adult

Especially in the first years of life, connection with caring and responsive parents and other caregivers is critical for your child. You influence the very structure and wiring of your baby's brain; you influence the person she becomes and the future she will have.

in fact, what children really need to grow and develop is unhurried time with caring adults, people who will focus on the child and follow his cues without distraction or expectations

There is a popular cartoon that shows a mother talking to her child. "Honey," she says, "when you're older, I want you to be confident, assertive, and independent. But right now I want you to be compliant, quiet, and obedient." Most parents know the feeling: The very same qualities that we want for our children as adults can make life challenging when they're young.

The best way to be sure a tiny person realizes that you are talking to her is to make eye contact. Get down on her level, look into those curious eyes, and speak directly to her.

He is a small scientist using his hands, mouth, and imperfect coordination to determine the properties of the marvelous world around him. Your real tasks as a parent are prevention, vigilance—and very quick reflexes.

Your child will need lots of opportunities to exercise his imagination and creativity as he grows. (Sometimes that includes time to play alone.)

wonder, "Would they rather have weak-willed children?"): children who won't obey, won't listen, or have temper tantrums. Some of this behavior is typical of a young child's development, as children explore and experiment to discover who they are and what they can do.

shame and humiliation are disrespectful, and a child who is treated with disrespect is likely to return the favor.

harsh criticism, punishment, or shaming may also damage a child's brain and ability to trust you.

In second grade my second love wrote "I love you" on a scrap of paper and dropped it on my desk as he passed by. He was very shy and sullen. When he moved to another school at the end of the term, I was heartsick. I thought about him all summer. But I learned then that we do outgrow people and our tastes do change. One should not marry until one is older. At least ten.

My mom was paranoid about my safety.

The fundamental condition of childhood is powerlessness.

A small, light object landed on my head. I looked around. Another small something hit me. I looked up. After a third thing hit me, I untangled a couple of deer droppings from my hair. It was spotted deer poop. I must be one of the only kids on the planet to recognise the sultana-like pellets of hares and deer and the boulders left by elephant and rhino. I heard a cackle behind me and turned to receive a handful of deer pellets full in the face.

Literature is a textually transmitted disease, normally contracted in childhood.

Not poor? How can you sit there and say that with a straight face? Why I remember your momma told my momma once that your daddy got drunk and spent his paycheck and you had to pick up beer bottles alongside the road for lunch money and you had holes in the bottoms of your shoes. You had to line them with newspapers. If that ain't poor, I sure don't know what is.

Adult Children of Alcoholics was largely based on the premise that for the ACoA there is a lack of data base: ACoAs do not learn what other children learn in the process of growing up. Although they do wonderfully well in crisis, they do not learn the day-to-day process of "doing life.

You probably got to know some kids. But that caused problems, too. How many times could you go over to your friend's house without inviting him to your house? There was always a sense of that dreaded day when your friend would say, "Let's play at your house this afternoon." You could only go to your friend's so often without having to face the inevitable. Maybe it just wasn't worth it to have a friend.

These characteristics are caused by the fact that you never knew when, or if, your parents would be emotionally available to you. You only knew unpredictability and inconsistency. Once the drinking or the trouble began, you simply did not exist. From experience you knew your needs would not be met until the drinking episode and any accompanying crises were over.

By age seven, I used to comb my hair for performances, just pull my hair up into a bun. Granted, it wasn't a very intricate hairstyle. Still, to be that responsible and disciplined at age seven is unusual.

I really don't know anything else because my brothers were famous when I was two years old. So I know nothing else, no other life.