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Quote by Alison Gopnik

“You read a bunch of books and you get a bunch of how-tos, and you take a bunch of classes and you learn a bunch of techniques. You set yourself goals and benchmarks. I think people have imported that into their experience of taking care of children.”

Author

Alison Gopnik

Alison Gopnik is a distinguished writer and psychologist specializing in developmental psychology, with a focus on child development and the science of learning. Born on June 16, 1955, she has made substantial contributions to the field of developmental psychology, offering insights into how children learn and think. more

“We're in a culture where everything is either consumption or production, so child care is either a very, very bad-paying form of work or a very expensive luxury that you purchase. There isn't a good place in our picture of the world for what caregiving is about. Even teenage babysitters have sort of disappeared from the scene.”

World Children Care Culture Scene Teenage Babysitter

Author:Alison Gopnik

“We provide a secure, stable space for children to grow up in, so children will be able to take risks and have adventures and do things that are unexpected. If there isn't a risk that your children can fail, then you haven't succeeded as a parent.”

Children Parent Growing Up Failing Risk Adventure Our Children Your Children Unexpected

Author:Alison Gopnik

“We pass our values, ideas and moral character on to our children, but we do that knowing that our children are going to revise our knowledge and reshape their values. There's something very paradoxical and profound about being a parent as opposed to parenting. We put in all this effort and energy not so that we can shape a child of a particular sort, but so that all sorts of possibilities can happen in the future.”

Children Character Values Energy Parent Effort Moral Possibility Our Children Profound Paradoxical Being A Parent Moral Character

Author:Alison Gopnik

“Children are the most amazing thing in the universe, as far as I'm concerned. If you're worrying about how it's going to turn out, you aren't experiencing that day-to-day satisfaction of being with these incredible, extraordinary creatures. Every single one of them is the most incredible, extraordinary creature that you're ever going to want to see. I think the joy of having that deep relationship - that's the core of what being a parent is.”

Thinking Children Joy Universe Parent Worry Concerned Extraordinary Incredibles Most Amazing Being A Parent

Author:Alison Gopnik