Skip to content
quotesby

About this quote

What does it mean?
Parents benefit from ignoring some of their children's misdeeds.
In plain terms
Don't watch kids too closely; it scares everyone.
What can you take from it?
Trust your kids instead of monitoring everything.

Where it applies

  • raising teenagers
  • family trust
  • education

Putting it to work

  • avoid micromanaging children
  • build trust

Questions to consider

  • Where is the line between care and control?
  • How much should parents know about their kids?

Another view

Safety concerns sometimes require more supervision.

More from Garrison Keillor

  1. People will miss that it once meant something to be Southern or Midwestern. It doesn't mean much now, except for the climate. The question, 'Where are you from…

    Permalink to quote #29
  2. Some luck lies in not getting what you thought you wanted but getting what you have, which once you have got it you may be smart enough to see is what you woul…

    Permalink to quote #31
  3. One day Donald Trump will discover that he is owned by Lutheran Brotherhood and must renegotiate his debt load with a committee of silent Norwegians who don't …

    Permalink to quote #28

Related quotes

  1. What's very confusing for them is why there are people who want to take Mommy and Daddy's photograph. So we have a little game where we hide our face in Daddy'…

    Johnny DeppJohnny Depp quote #137
  2. I don't care if they take my photograph. I don't care if they take Vanessa's photograph, we're adults. But when they start taking photos of my kids and putting…

    Johnny DeppJohnny Depp quote #163
  3. Familles, je vous hais! foyers clos; portes refermees; possessions jalouses du bonheur.

    Andre GideAndre Gide quote #1