I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves.

—Anna Quindlen

About Anna Quindlen

Portrait of Anna Quindlen

Anna Marie Quindlen (born July 8, 1952) is an American author, journalist, and opinion columnist.

More quotations from Anna Quindlen

I show up. I listen. I try to laugh.

—Anna Quindlen

You cannot be really first-rate at your work if your work is all you are.

—Anna Quindlen

When you leave college, there are thousands of people out there with the same degree you have; when you get a job, there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you are the only person alive who has sole custody of your life.

—Anna Quindlen

Voices that loud are always meant to bully. Do not be bullied. Acts of bravery don't always take place on battlefields. They can take place in your heart, when you have the courage to honor your character, your intellect, your inclinations, and, yes your soul by listening to its clean, clear voice of direction instead of following the muddied messages of a timid world.

—Anna Quindlen

All of us want to do well. But if we do not do good, too, then doing well will never be enough.

—Anna Quindlen

More quotations tagged with “children”

There was a time when we expected nothing of our children but obedience, as opposed to the present, when we expect everything of them but obedience.

—Anatole Broyard

Lies are like children. If you don't nurture them, they'll never be useful later.

—Randy K. Milholland

children lies nurturing

Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.

—Robert Fulghum

attention children listening watching

Children are messengers to us from a world we once deeply knew.

—Alice Miller

innocence memory knowledge children forgetting

As far as rearing children goes, the basic idea I try to keep in mind is that a child is a person. Just because they happen to be a little shorter than you doesn't mean they are dumber than you. A lot of people make that mistake, and forget how much value there is in raw intuition—and there's plenty of that in every child. They may not have verbal skills or manual skills yet, but that is no reason to treat them like they're inferior little lumps whose destiny it is to grow up to be inferior big lumps like you.

children parenting skills

History

11 Jul 2015 Added