Toni Morrison Quotes

The moment when you are most repelled by a child's behavior, that is your warning light to draw the very closest to that child.

Since the beginning of time, every child on the planet has endeavored to please their parents.

You know how kids have a meltdown? They're overtired or overstimulated? Every once in a while, Wayne, as Mickey, would say, 'Aw, what's the matter, little fella?' And the kid would stop crying, his eyes would get big, and he'd look around, and the parents would say, 'What just happened?'

It's harder for me, never having brought up a child, to enter the universe of the child.

Do you light up when your kids are coming in the room or do you become the instant critic?

Leave your pride, ego, and narcissism somewhere else. Reactions from those parts of you will reinforce your children's most primitive fears.

I've decided to tell my kids things like: 'I love the way each of you tilted back your heads when you laughed.' I will give them specific stuff they can grasp.

Kids need to open up to their parents. And parents should realize that when kids are pushing you away, that's the time to really step in.

Children require affection. That's very important.

For me, as much about being a parent as it is about being a child.

I will never understand children. I never pretended to. I meet mothers all the time who make resolutions to themselves. 'I'm going to ... go out of my way to show them I am interested in them and what they do. I am going to understand my children.' These women end up making rag rugs, using blunt scissors.

It is easy to say that you can adopt the whole human race as your children, but it is not the same as living in a home with a child and shaping all you do to help him learn to be happy and whole and good. Don't live your life without ever holding a child in your arms, on your lap, in your home, and feeling a child's arms around you and hearing his voice in your ear and seeing his smile, given to you because you put it into your heart.

If parents would only realize how they bore their children.

You have to make sure that you and your child are connecting, and it does help when they are looking directly into your eyes.

We all think there is a formula, (but) as long as we love our children, that's really the only solid thing I know that works across the board.

I've been successful in different areas, but nothing brings a smile to my face more than my oldest son, Zaire, and my second son, Zion, saying the kind word of 'Dad.'

We try to keep a good line of communication open with our children. It's not always about trying to just teach them every moment, but it's about listening to them and trying to understand them and gain that sense of communication so when they need to talk to someone, they know that we're there.

A parentologist is a person who writes a book about parenting that is very clear about answers to, 'How am I supposed to raise my child?' Some of these well-intentioned people may be a bit too sure-footed on the sometimes slippery slope of parenting.

I think having children in general is always very helpful for acting.

Books are such a great way to spend time with your children, open lines of communication with your children, and just build that strong foundation.

Get to know your kids' minds and how they think.

I have an almost seven year old... I think it's essential to be consistent with kids. And truthful, without scaring them. I could go on for hours on this one.

I don't think you should reprimand your child for everything you're feeling because for them it's as serious as when something happens in our day and we get upset about it.

No society that feeds its children on tales of successful violence can expect them not to believe that violence in the end is rewarded

If you bungle raising your children, nothing else matters in life.