--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We do nothing for children between the…" description: "\"We do nothing for children between the ages of zero and five. And we seem to be quite happy to have children growing up in not just poverty, which woul..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_we-do-nothing-for-children-between-the-a_2775162.jpg" --- # We do nothing for children between the ages of zero and… ![“We do nothing for children between the ages of zero and five. And we seem to be quite happy to have children growing up in not just poverty, which wouldn't be so bad, but isolation, lack of people around them, lack of support, lack of ability to go out and play in the dirt.” quote by Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_we-do-nothing-for-children-between-the-a_2775162.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_we-do-nothing-for-children-between-the-a_2775162.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b46/alison-gopnik-4163_ability_we-do-nothing-for-children-between-the-a_2775162.jpg) > “We do nothing for children between the ages of zero and five. And we seem to be quite happy to have children growing up in not just poverty, which wouldn't be so bad, but isolation, lack of people around them, lack of support, lack of ability to go out and play in the dirt.” [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Early childhood neglect leads to developmental deficits and social isolation, harming long‑term wellbeing. **In simple terms:** Neglecting kids ages 0‑5 harms development and social health. Key Takeaway Invest in early childhood programs and community support. Themes child development social equity early education Mood concerned hopeful Type policy advocacy When to use this quote - preschool curricula - parenting workshops - community play spaces - policy advocacy Key Concepts attachment theory social capital neuroscience Questions to Reflect On - How can societies prioritize early childhood investment? - What community actions can fill gaps? A Different Perspective Limited resources and political will often impede implementation. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ability/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Dirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dirt/) [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Happy children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-children/) [Isolation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/isolation/) [Lack of support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lack-of-support/) [Nothing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nothing/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Play](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/play/) [Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty/) [Support](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support/) ## Related quotes > [There have been two areas identified as being vital to reading - and that's for very young children between the ages of one month…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-dean-myers/there-have-been-two-areas-identified-as-being-vital-to-reading-and/) [Walter Dean Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-dean-myers/) > [I think anything that happens to you between the ages of zero to 18, and probably further on, has a lasting impact on you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olly-alexander/i-think-anything-that-happens-to-you-between-the-ages-of-zero-to-18/) [Olly Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olly-alexander/) > [The problem in child care, which really all of us are going to have to think hard on, is that there is no really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-zigler/the-problem-in-child-care-which-really-all-of-us-are-going-to-have-to/) [Edward Zigler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-zigler/) > [Can you believe approximately 17 percent of American children ages 2 to 19 years are obese? How about this fact: approximately 60 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-sweeney/can-you-believe-approximately-17-percent-of-american-children-ages-2/) [Alison Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-sweeney/) > [Children between the ages of five to ten years are even more variable. They are going to vary from very high functioning, capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/temple-grandin/children-between-the-ages-of-five-to-ten-years-are-even-more-variable/) [Temple Grandin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/temple-grandin/) > [There has been a vigorous acceleration of health, resource and education programs designed to advance the role of the American Indian in our society.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/there-has-been-a-vigorous-acceleration-of-health-resource-and/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [Watching your children growing up makes you aware of time passing. You think, 'Oh, God, look at them now! He won't be like this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-allam/watching-your-children-growing-up-makes-you-aware-of-time-passing-you/) [Roger Allam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-allam/) > [Because I see my own boys growing, and I see other children growing and I just have such a connection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-trammell/because-i-see-my-own-boys-growing-and-i-see-other-children-growing/) [Sam Trammell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-trammell/) > [Seeing my sons grow I wish I´d be able to secure all children growing up safely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-beckham/seeing-my-sons-grow-i-wish-i-d-be-able-to-secure-all-children-growing/) [David Beckham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-beckham/) > [Some parents find it difficult to understand that children are Growing Up and not Growing Down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-mark/some-parents-find-it-difficult-to-understand-that-children-are/) [Terry Mark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-mark/) > [I think the arts are very important for children growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-schwartz/i-think-the-arts-are-very-important-for-children-growing-up/) [Stephen Schwartz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-schwartz/) > [ “...\[their\] children were not growing up or being brought up, but were tumbling up.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/their-children-were-not-growing-up-or-being-brought-up-but-were/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“You could not moralize children out of growing up. Or teach them how to do it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/you-could-not-moralize-children-out-of-growing-up-or-teach-them-how/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [What interests me is what children go through while growing up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beverly-cleary/what-interests-me-is-what-children-go-through-while-growing-up/) [Beverly Cleary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beverly-cleary/) > [When the children were growing, I didn't want to speak about the family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jocelyn-wildenstein/when-the-children-were-growing-i-didn-t-want-to-speak-about-the-family/) [Jocelyn Wildenstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jocelyn-wildenstein/) ## More by Alison Gopnik > [Philosophers and psychologists have long puzzled over the question of how we know as much as we do despite our limited experiences. One way…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/philosophers-and-psychologists-have-long-puzzled-over-the-question-of/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Adults often assume that most learning is the result of teaching and that exploratory, spontaneous learning is unusual. But actually, spontaneous learning is more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/adults-often-assume-that-most-learning-is-the-result-of-teaching-and/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Adults tend to think they have much free will. Kids younger than six are less sure. They may be more realistic!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/adults-tend-to-think-they-have-much-free-will-kids-younger-than-six/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [From an evolutionary perspective children are, literally, designed to learn. Childhood is a special period of protected immaturity. 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But in addition, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/like-their-parents-the-korean-children-used-more-verbs-than-the/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [“We decided to become development psychologists and study children because there aren't any Martians. These brilliant beings with the little bodies and big heads…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/we-decided-to-become-development-psychologists-and-study-children/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [Each new generation of children grows up in the new environment its parents have created, and each generation of brains becomes wired in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-gopnik/each-new-generation-of-children-grows-up-in-the-new-environment-its/) [Alison Gopnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-gopnik/) > [I'm the oldest of six children and I had my own first baby when I was 23. 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Holland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-r-holland/) > [Maybe law enforcement would like the ability to turn on the camera on your Mac.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-cook/maybe-law-enforcement-would-like-the-ability-to-turn-on-the-camera-on/) [Tim Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-cook/) > [I've seen guys come along with more ability - they've been faster or bigger or stronger - but they never worked hard to develop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-largent/i-ve-seen-guys-come-along-with-more-ability-they-ve-been-faster-or/) [Steve Largent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-largent/) > [The youth of India has the strength to move the entire World with a click of a mouse, we have generated that ability!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/narendra-modi/the-youth-of-india-has-the-strength-to-move-the-entire-world-with-a/) [Narendra Modi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/narendra-modi/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [An absolutely necessary part of a writer's equipment, almost as necessary as talent, is the ability to stand up under punishment, both the punishment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irwin-shaw/an-absolutely-necessary-part-of-a-writer-s-equipment-almost-as/) [Irwin Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irwin-shaw/) > [I'd be more frightened by not using whatever abilities I'd been given. I'd be more frightened by procrastination and laziness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denzel-washington/i-d-be-more-frightened-by-not-using-whatever-abilities-i-d-been-given/) [Denzel Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denzel-washington/) > [Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 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