43 Quotes by Benjamin Spock
Dr. Benjamin Spock, a renowned pediatrician and author, revolutionized the field of child-rearing and parenting with his groundbreaking book "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care." Published in 1946, the book became a bestseller and a trusted resource for generations of parents seeking guidance on child development and care. Spock's approach emphasized empathy, understanding, and respect for the child's individual needs, challenging the prevailing authoritarian parenting methods of the time. He advocated for a more permissive and flexible style of parenting that focused on building a nurturing and loving relationship with the child.
Spock's influence extended beyond the pages of his book, as he became a prominent figure in advocating for peace, civil rights, and social justice. His outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War and his advocacy for nuclear disarmament positioned him as a respected voice for social change. Dr. Benjamin Spock's impact on child-rearing practices and his commitment to social activism have left a lasting legacy, shaping the way parents approach the care and upbringing of their children and inspiring a generation to question established norms and strive for a more compassionate and inclusive society.
Benjamin Spock Quotes
Trust yourself, you know more than you think you do. (Meaning)
Children who grow up getting nutrition from plant foods rather than meats have a tremendous health advantage. They are less likely to develop weight problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and some forms of cancer
The more people have studied different methods of bringing up children the more they have come to the conclusion that what good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is the best after all.
What good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is usually best after all.
Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life.
The main source of good discipline is growing up in a loving family, being loved and learning to love in return.
The child supplies the power but the parents have to do the steering.
A human being is happiest and most successful when dedicated to a cause outside his own individual, selfish satisfaction.
Physical punishment teaches children that the larger, stronger person has the power to get his way, whether or not he is in the right, and they may resent this in the parent-for life.
Humans can be the most affectionate and altruistic of creatures, yet they're potentially more vicious than any other. They are the only ones who can be persuaded to hate millions of their own kind whom they have never seen and to kill as many as they can lay their hands on in the name of their tribe or their God.
There are only two things a child will share willingly; communicable diseases and its mother's age.
Respect children because they're human beings and they deserve respect, and they'll grow up to be better people.
Can we make a better world for our children? I believe we can, if enough people are concerned and get involved in changing what is wrong with society.
Don't be afraid to trust your own common sense.
It's up to each of us to help create a better world for our children.
Happiness is mostly a by-product of doing what makes us feel fulfilled.
The children who are appreciated for what they are, even if they are homely, or clumsy, or slow, will grow up with confidence in themselves and happy. They will have a spirit that will make the best of all the capacities that they do have and of all the opportunities that come their way.
The fact is that child rearing is a long, hard job, the rewards are not always immediately obvious, the work is undervalued, and parents are just as human and almost as vulnerable as their children.
I would say that the surest measure of a man's or a woman's maturity is the harmony, style, joy, and dignity he creates in his marriage, and the pleasure and inspiration he provides for his spouse.
When women are encouraged to be competitive, too many of them become disagreeable.
The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.
Most middle-class whites have no idea what it feels like to be subjected to police who are routinely suspicious, rude, belligerent, and brutal.
If I could make only one wish for a child, I'd wish him the quality of lovingness.
All the time a person is a child he is both a child and learning to be a parent. After he becomes a parent he becomes predominantly a parent reliving childhood.
The loving person makes other people feel good, and he is usually a happy person himself. He is able to form strong, long-lasting friendships.
Does sex education encourage sex? Many parents are afraid that talking about sex with their teenagers will be taken as permission for the teen to have sex. Nothing could be further from the truth. If anything, the more children learn abour sexuality from talking with their parents and teachers and reading accurate books, the less they feel compelled to find out for themselves.
Our greatest hope is to bring up children inspired by their opportunities for being helpful and loving.
A boy, by the age of 3 years, senses that his destiny is to be a man, so he watches his father particularly-his interests, manner, speech, pleasures, his attitude toward work.
This present system by which industry is motivated exclusively by the quest for maximal profits - though it may have helped a great deal to develop, to industrialize our country so rapidly and so successfully - now it's clearly passed its usefulness. It is keeping us from achieving the ideal society that we should have. We say industry must produce to improve the quality of life for all our people.
I really learned it all from mothers.
Sex education, including its spiritual aspects, should be part of a broad health and moral education from kindergarten through grade twelve, ideally carried out harmoniously by parents and teachers.
It's not the words but the music that counts.
Don't worry about trying to do a perfect job. There is no perfect job. There is no one way of raising your children.
Don't take too seriously all that the neighbors say. Don't be overawed by what the experts say. Don't be afraid to trust your own common sense.
...the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are beholden to industry. They always will be. And, the American people are fooled when they think that if you can just get McGovern instead of Humphrey, or if you can get a Democrat instead of a Republican, this will be the end of our problems.
Parental trust is extremely important in the guidance of adolescent children as they get further and further away from the direct supervision of their parents and teachers. I don't mean that trust without clear guidance is enough, but guidance without trust is worthless.
Boys and girls need chances to be around their father, to be enjoyed by him and if possible to do things with him. Better to play fifteen minutes enjoyably and then say, 'Now I'm going to read my paper' than to spend all day at the zoo crossly.
I've come to the realization that a lot of our problems are because of a dearth of spiritual values.
In our country today, very few children are raised to believe that their principal destiny is to serve their family, their country, or God.
Democracy appears to me potentially a higher form of political organization than any kind of dictatorship. But if it turns out that in America, which could afford a decent living for everyone, the comfortable majority is willing to condone the misery and abuse of a minority for an indefinite period, the exploitation by the majority becomes as repugnant as exploitation by an oligarchy, and democracy loses half its supposed superiority.
Having a good time together is the essence of lovingness and the best means of increasing it.
Grandparents have the freedom to see their grandchildren uncritically.
How to fold a diaper depends on the size of the baby and the diaper.
― Benjamin Spock Quotes
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
