Fred Rogers Quotes

When a child enters the world through you, it alters everything on a psychic, psychological and purely practical level.

My favorite things in life are my children. If somebody wants to understand me, there's no better window into that than my children.

I hope everyone can examine what is the most important relationship in life - the relationship between parent and child.

The character and history of each child may be a new and poetic experience to the parent, if he will let it.

If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do matters very much.

When you have children, your perspective on the parent-child relationship alters.

When a child is small, it is his mother who is mainly responsible for the way he is brought up. So it was with me. I belonged in those days to my mother rather than my father.

In considering the ledger equal, understand the greatest gift you have given your parents is the opportunity to raise you. The things a child gets from parents can't compare to the things a parent gets from raising a child. Only by experiencing this can you understand the degree to which children give meaning to parents' lives.

Children, I suppose, are always unfinished business: they begin as part of your own body, and continue as separate as another continent.

Our children are extensions of ourselves in ways our parents are not, nor our brothers and sisters, nor our spouses.

Your disrespect for me is apparent. You never respected me when I think about it and you never liked me. But I’m the parent and you’re the child and it is not your job to love me the way I love you. My love for you is unconditional and no matter what you decide in your life I will love you. Doesn’t mean I have to like it, but I will always love you. Love, Dad

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.

There comes a moment as a parent when you realize you will no longer be the center of your child's universe.

I don't think people who have children are acting selfishly or unselfishly. Having a child who'll be loved, to parents who love each other, is the important thing.

My children were the center of my life.

They have to exist or not in their own right. I mean, with kids, you don't say, 'Which is your favourite,' or 'Which did you enjoy bringing up the best?'

That's one thing I find about having children - it does unlock a door that separates you from other women who've had children.

People ask me, 'Is being a parent the be-all, end-all?' And I say, 'Oh, it definitely is up to the person, and it is difficult, it can be very difficult, and it can be extremely healing.' That's what I have found, that the children are mirrors. Everyone is a mirror, but children especially because they're day and night and all day long.

I have two kids, and anyone who has a kid in order to feel loved is going to be in trouble because kids are first and foremost all about themselves. They'll say they love you, but 10 seconds later they'll turn on you.

I'm coming to that realization that I'm going to be seen as a mom to someone, and it makes you think about your own parents. You know, who were they?

My daughter doesn't love me because I'm on TV, she loves me because I'm her dad.

People forget how the same children brought up with affection, effort, and love are the ones who later kick their parents.

Every child needs both parents.

So much of my work is about children and/or parenting; it's something I'm drawn to without being able to completely articulate why.

Children grow out of childhood, but parents never grow out of parenthood.