Debra Messing Quotes

Our children can achieve great things when we set high expectations for them.

I love working with kids, talking with them and listening to them. I always encourage kids to reach beyond their dreams. Don't try to be like me. Be better than me.

You want to do everything you can so your child has every tool to succeed.

Western parents worry a lot about their children's self-esteem. But as a parent, one of the worst things you can do for your child's self-esteem is to let them give up. On the flip side, there's nothing better for building confidence than learning you can do something you thought you couldn't.

My number one goal was not getting 'A's' - and I proved it. I was a 'C' student. You have to be ready to learn. If you're not interesting in learning, it doesn't work. As I grew older and wanted to learn and desperately wanted inside information, learning was a lot easier.

Some people don't need parental commitment, they will still come out great, but for others, parents can be critical in providing moral and academic guidance.

Children are amazing, and while I go to places like Princeton and Harvard and Yale, and of course I teach at Columbia, NYU, and that's nice and I love students, but the most fun of all are the real little ones, the young ones.

It was hard for me, being in school. And nobody was there to tell me how important it was.

I don't love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.

What we look for in the school is unrealized potential.

My favorite subject was recess. Fortunately for me, I had a mother who believed I was smart.

There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all.

True education flowers at the point when delight falls in love with responsibility.

I grew up in a house where nobody had to tell me to go to school every day and do my homework.

Young children were sooner allured by love, than driven by beating, to attain good learning.

I tried piano, acting, and a bunch of things. My family let me do what I wanted to do; they made sure I had balance in my life because I was self-driven. Listen to your kid, encourage them, and make it fun.

Whether I'm running, working, relating, parenting, learning - whatever I'm doing, I want to surround myself with people who push me.

I love being around kids; they're honest and refreshing, and I love teaching them new things.

Some people are just self-motivated - my husband was. I also believe there are many children for whom parental involvement is key.

The education of my brother and myself was of paramount importance to my parents, and in addition to their strong encouragement, they were prepared to make any sacrifice to further our intellectual development.

The important thing is not so much that every child should be taught, as that every child should be given the wish to learn.

A good teacher can inspire hope, ignite the imagination, and instill a love of learning.

Teachers started recognizing me and praising me for being smart in science and that made me want to be even smarter in science!

I just like seeing kids inspired.

Attitudes about the rearing and education of children vary between two extremes. One, which might be labeled “authoritarian” or “coercive,” rests on an assumption that children are by nature irresponsible and lazy, and will do their schoolwork only if they are penalized for a poor performance. The opposite view might be labeled “progressive” or “democratic.” It rests on the assumption that children who are brought up with love, trust, and clear but kind leadership are eager to grow up and be like their parents, eager to explore, learn, master skills, and take on responsibility; they need guidance but not sternness or punishment.