Quotessence
Home / Authors / Fred Rogers
Fred Rogers

Fred Rogers Quotes

Educator

Filter quotes by topic

AllChildrenPeopleWayHelpingImportantKnowsPersonsGivingFeelingsWorldIfsOur ChildrenThinkingMayNeedsParentFeelsHumansBelieveWant

Famous Fred Rogers Quotes

“I don't believe that children can develop in a healthy way unless they feel that they have value apart from anything they own or any skill that they learn. They need to feel they enhance the life of someone else, that they are needed. Who, better than parents, can let them know that?”

KnowsWayNeedsFeelsBelieveChildrenValuesParentNeededHealthySkillsDon't Believe
Book:You Are Special: Words of Wisdom for All Ages from a Beloved Neighbor
Create image

“It is one of the paradoxes of parenting, and often a painful paradox, that even as our children need us for love and trust, they also need us for honest differing. It's not only over limits and rules...[but also] about what we represent in the way of culture, traditions, and values. We owe it to our children to let them know what we believe, and if they differ with us, we owe it to them to be honest adversaries, for it is through this honest confrontation that children can grow into adults who have a firm sense of their place in the sequence of the generations.”

IfsKnowsWayNeedsBelieveChildrenValuesCultureGrowsGenerationsHonestLimitsAdultsTraditionOur ChildrenPainfulBeing HonestFirmParadoxSequenceAdversariesConfrontationLove And Trust
Author:Fred Rogers
Create image

“I believe that at the center of the universe there dwells a loving spirit who longs for all that’s best in all of creation, a spirit who knows the great potential of each planet as well as each person, and little by little will love us into being more than we ever dreamed possible. That loving spirit would rather die than give up on any one of us.”

KnowsGivingBelieveWellsLittlesPersonsSpiritDiesUniverseI BelieveCreationPlanetsGiving UpCenter Of The Universe
Author:Fred Rogers
Create image

“There's no "should" or "should not" when it comes to having feelings. They're part of who we are and their origins are beyond our control. When we can believe that, we may find it easier to make constructive choices about what to do with those feelings.”

ShouldBelieveMayFeelingsChoicesEasyHuman NatureTelevisionEasierWho We AreConstructive
Book:You Are Special: Words of Wisdom for All Ages from a Beloved Neighbor
Create image

“Most of us, I believe, admire strength. It's something we tend to respect in others, desire for ourselves, and wish for our children. Sometimes, though, I wonder if we confuse strength with other words—like 'aggression' and even 'violence'. Real strength is neither male nor female; but it is, quite simply, one of the finest characteristics that a human being can possess.”

IfsBelieveHumansChildrenRealSometimesDesireI BelieveWishHuman BeingsWonderViolenceFemaleOur ChildrenMalesAdmireCharacteristicsAggressionFinestReal Strength
Book:The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember
Create image

“The values we care about the deepest, and the movements within society that support those values, command our love. When those things that we care about so deeply become endangered, we become enraged. And what a healthy thing that is! Without it, we would never stand up and speak out for what we believe.”

BelieveCareValuesSpeakSupportMovementHealthyCommandOur LoveSpeaks Out
Book:You Are Special: Words of Wisdom for All Ages from a Beloved Neighbor
Create image

“I doubt that we can ever successfully impose values or attitudes or behaviors on our children certainly not by threat, guilt, or punishment. But I do believe they can be induced through relationships where parents and children are growing together. Such relationships are, I believe, build on trust, example, talk, and caring.”

BelieveChildrenTogetherValuesI BelieveParentAttitudeDoubtGrowingExampleTrustBehaviorOur ChildrenGuiltThreatCaringPunishmentFather SonChildren And ParentsGrowing Together
Author:Fred Rogers
Create image

“I believe it's a fact of life that what we have is less important than what we make out of what we have. The same holds true for families: It's not how many people there are in a family that counts, but rather the feelings among the people who are there.”

PeopleBelieveImportantFactsFeelingsI BelieveFacts Of LifeMake Out
Book:You Are Special: Words of Wisdom for All Ages from a Beloved Neighbor
Create image