“...for if we try to go on protecting them we prevent them from growing up to be ordinary, confident adults, capable of looking after themselves.”

“We can surely no longer pretend that our children are growing up into a peaceful, secure, and civilized world. We've come to the point where it's irresponsible to try to protect them from the irrational world they will have to live in when they grow up. The children themselves haven't yet isolated themselves by selfishness and indifference; they do not fall easily into the error of despair; they are considerably braver than most grownups. Our responsibility to them is not to pretend that if we don't look, evil will go away, but to give them weapons against it.”

“Experience teaches us that it is much easier to prevent an enemy from posting themselves than it is to dislodge them after they have got possession. ”

“You mayn't get the things themselves; but nothing can prevent you from having the fun of looking forward to them.”

“It is clear that there are situations where we should restrict a child: letting them ingest poison, for example, would be against common sense, but to hinder an adult from taking poison consciously is against common sense also.[...] Seeking to influence others for what we consider "good" is the most idiotic presumption we are capable of. Essentially, we are trying to impose our values on the next person, and to make them our puppets.”

“We parents are an extension of our children, not the other way around. We are their conscience until it becomes their responsibility to tell themselves what’s right and necessary. We are their butlers until they are fully able to get the items they need and can clean up after themselves. We are their cheerleaders until they learn how to develop their own confidence and motivation. We are their counselors until they are able to take the lead in making the tough decisions that affect them.”