--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Anyone who writes down to children is…" description: "\"Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding. They are the most attentive, cur..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/anonymous-1_children_anyone-who-writes-down-to-children-is-si_985654.jpg" --- # Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his… ![“Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding. They are the most attentive, curious, eager, observant, sensitive, quick, and generally congenial readers on earth… Children are game for anything. I throw them hard words and…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/anonymous-1_children_anyone-who-writes-down-to-children-is-si_985654.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/anonymous-1_children_anyone-who-writes-down-to-children-is-si_985654.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9fd/anonymous-1_children_anyone-who-writes-down-to-children-is-si_985654.jpg) > “Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding. They are the most attentive, curious, eager, observant, sensitive, quick, and generally congenial readers on earth… Children are game for anything. I throw them hard words and they backhand them across the net.” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker argues that writing for children is pointless because they are demanding readers who can handle complex language and respond robustly. **In simple terms:** Writing for kids is wasteful; they are eager, capable readers. Key Takeaway Treat children as sophisticated readers, not passive learners. Themes education reading children communication Mood reflective critical thought‑provoking Type advice analysis commentary When to use this quote - classroom instruction - parental guidance - publishing children's books - media production Key Concepts cognitive development literacy audience awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can writers balance challenge and accessibility for young readers? - What responsibilities do authors have toward child audiences? A Different Perspective Children may still need age‑appropriate scaffolding to fully grasp advanced concepts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Attentive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attentive/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Demanding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-demanding-1984981/) [Curious](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/curious/) [Demanding Attentive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/demanding-attentive-1984982/) [Earth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/earth/) [Games](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/games/) [Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/reader/) [Sensitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sensitive/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Write Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/write-children-337293/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writes Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writes-children-1540984/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-b-white/anyone-who-writes-down-to-children-is-simply-wasting-his-time-you/) [E. B. White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-b-white/) > [When you write for children and young adults, you have much more affect and influence on them than when you write for adults. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-you-write-for-children-and-young-adults-you-have-much-more/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I am so attracted to ambition and drive and talent. 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So of course gradually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/adults-tend-to-repress-their-pleasure-sad-to-say-i-think-we-become/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Coming at twenty to his father's house, which was a very sink of filthy debauchery, he, chaste and pure as he was, simply withdrew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/coming-at-twenty-to-his-father-s-house-which-was-a-very-sink-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Love may, indeed, love the beloved when her beauty is lost: but not because it is lost. Love may forgive all infirmities and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/love-may-indeed-love-the-beloved-when-her-beauty-is-lost-but-not/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You will find out that Charity is a heavy burden to carry, heavier than the kettle of soup and the full basket. But you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-will-find-out-that-charity-is-a-heavy-burden-to-carry-heavier/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Sensitive Balls goes looking for love at Labour party conference”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sensitive-balls-goes-looking-for-love-at-labour-party-conference/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [How did you find me anyway." "For all that I must keep reminding you that I am not a bloodhound, it's true that on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/how-did-you-find-me-anyway-for-all-that-i-must-keep-reminding-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I say that almost everywhere there is beauty enough to fill a person's life if one would only be sensitive to it. but Henry…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-say-that-almost-everywhere-there-is-beauty-enough-to-fill-a-person/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Attentive quotes > [Not knowing how to feed the spirit, we try to muffle its demands in distraction...What matters is that one be for a time inwardly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/not-knowing-how-to-feed-the-spirit-we-try-to-muffle-its-demands-in/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [Most songs come from being attentive. Attentive to life, attentive to scripture, attentive to your heart. Pay attention!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-redman/most-songs-come-from-being-attentive-attentive-to-life-attentive-to/) [Matt Redman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-redman/) > [Be attentive when talking. Don't roll your eyes or slouch when your partner is talking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mazher/be-attentive-when-talking-don-t-roll-your-eyes-or-slouch-when-your/) [Mazher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mazher/) > [So if you aspire to be a good conversationali st, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/so-if-you-aspire-to-be-a-good-conversationali-st-be-an-attentive/) [Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/) > [“The process of attentive listening makes the other person feel important, valued, and heard. For Nick, listening was, and still is, love. I've never…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/the-process-of-attentive-listening-makes-the-other-person-feel/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [Meditation is a state of mind which looks at everything with complete attention, totally, not just parts of it. And no one can teach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/meditation-is-a-state-of-mind-which-looks-at-everything-with-complete/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [Sometimes it is good to hear criticism because you are more attentive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred/sometimes-it-is-good-to-hear-criticism-because-you-are-more-attentive/) [Fred](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred/) > [“Pay attention to your goals and never let the euphoria of the early success convince you to brag about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/pay-attention-to-your-goals-and-never-let-the-euphoria-of-the-early/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“To Become an Attentive Listener . . . • Observe a person’s physical presence to see how their body language aligns with their message.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/to-become-an-attentive-listener-observe-a-person-s-physical-presence/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [I am hyper attentive to detail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dorit-kemsley/i-am-hyper-attentive-to-detail/) [Dorit Kemsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dorit-kemsley/) > [I am so attracted to ambition and drive and talent. If a man loves something and can put his heart into it, I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meaghan-rath/i-am-so-attracted-to-ambition-and-drive-and-talent-if-a-man-loves/) [Meaghan Rath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meaghan-rath/) > [I think that one of the things I'd learned from being so attentive to the careers of the people I've admired is the fact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-giacchino/i-think-that-one-of-the-things-i-d-learned-from-being-so-attentive-to/) [Michael Giacchino](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-giacchino/) > [Attentive listening to others is important regardless of their stations and positions. Wise people consider the deep meaning and true values of all suggestions.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chungliang-al-huang/attentive-listening-to-others-is-important-regardless-of-their/) [Chungliang Al Huang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chungliang-al-huang/) > [I have a house full of dead succulents but I was very attentive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-levine/i-have-a-house-full-of-dead-succulents-but-i-was-very-attentive/) [Alice Levine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-levine/) > [“Always be attentive of your ego.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupama-garg/always-be-attentive-of-your-ego/) [Anupama Garg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupama-garg/) [Browse all 89 Attentive quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/attentive/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Anyone who writes down to children is simply wasting his time. You have to write up, not down. Children are demanding. 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