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About this quote

What does it mean?
We remain a child while learning to be a parent, then shift to reliving our own childhood as parents.
In plain terms
Being a parent means reliving your own childhood.
What can you take from it?
Parenting often triggers memories of your own upbringing.

Where it applies

  • reflecting on parenting
  • healing childhood wounds

Putting it to work

  • break generational patterns
  • understand your triggers

Questions to consider

  • What part of your childhood do you repeat?
  • How did your parents raise you?

Another view

It simplifies the complex role of being a parent.

More from Benjamin Spock

  1. In automobile terms, the child supplies the power but the parents have to do the steering.

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  2. Biologically and temperamentally, I believe women were made to be concerned first and foremost with child care, husband care and home care.

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  3. There are only two things a child will share willingly- communicable diseases and his mother's age.

    Permalink to quote #9

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