Activity Quote by Barbara Ehrenreich
![“One of the most essential and mundane of human activities - taking care of children - requires high levels of anxious vigilance. ... [Parents] dare not risk assuming that the sudden quiet from the toddlers' room means they are studying with Baby Einstein. Visualize fratricidal stranglings and…” quote by Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/49c/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_activity_one-of-the-most-essential-and-mundane-of_698366.jpg)
“One of the most essential and mundane of human activities - taking care of children - requires high levels of anxious vigilance. ... [Parents] dare not risk assuming that the sudden quiet from the toddlers' room means they are studying with Baby Einstein. Visualize fratricidal stranglings and electric outlets stabbed with forks: this is how we have reproduced our genomes.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Nickel and Dimed, 2001
Parenting demands constant alertness because children are unpredictable and can cause danger.
In simple terms: Parents must stay vigilant.
Key Takeaway
Stay alert, protect kids.
Themes
parenting
vigilance
danger
responsibility
Mood
anxious
protective
serious
Type
advice
cautionary
When to use this quote
- caring for infants
- home safety
- childproofing
- emergency preparedness
Key Concepts
risk assessment
protective instincts
family dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you balance vigilance with personal well‑being?
- What strategies reduce parental anxiety?
A Different Perspective
Constant vigilance can lead to burnout and anxiety.
![“What would it mean in practice to eliminate all the 'negative people' from one's life [as demanded by motivational speaker J.P. Maroney]? It might be a good idea to separate from a chronically carping spouse, but it is not so easy to abandon the whiny toddler, the colicky infant, or the sullen…” quote by Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/187/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_abandon_what-would-it-mean-in-practice-to-elimin_140275.jpg)
![“Robert Jackall’s book [ Moral Mazes ] impressed on me that corporate dress serves a far more important function than mere body covering. “Proper management of one’s external appearances,” he writes, “simply signals to one’s superiors that one is prepared to undertake other kinds of…” quote by Barbara Ehrenreich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/ead/barbara-ehrenreich-1204_attire_robert-jackall-s-book-moral-mazes-impres_186386.jpg)
