Eleanor Quote by Blanche Wiesen Cook
“A lot of people say that Eleanor Roosevelt wasn't a good mother. And there are two pieces to that story. One is, when they were very young, she was not a good mother. She was an unhappy mother. She was an unhappy wife. She had never known what it was to be a good mother. She didn't have a good mother of her own. And so there's a kind of parenting that doesn't happen.”
About This Quote
Source Book: “Eleanor Roosevelt: The Defining Years”, 2005
Explains how Eleanor Roosevelt’s own childhood lack of maternal love affected her parenting, highlighting intergenerational impact.
In simple terms: Her upbringing shaped her parenting style.
Key Takeaway
Early experiences influence later parenting.
Themes
family
psychology
history
Mood
analytical
empathetic
Type
historical
psychological
When to use this quote
- parenting workshops
- family therapy
- educational curricula
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
generational trauma
role models
emotional development
Questions to Reflect On
- How do early experiences shape adult behavior?
- What can break cycles of negative parenting?
A Different Perspective
Changing deep‑seated patterns can be difficult.
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![“Her [Eleanor Roosevelt] father was the love of her life. Her father always made her feel wanted, made her feel loved, where her mother made her feel, you know, unloved, judged harshly, never up to par. And she was her father's favorite, and her mother's unfavorite. So her father was the man that…” quote by Blanche Wiesen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8aa/blanche-wiesen-cook-13340_comfort_her-eleanor-roosevelt-father-was-the-lov_1830090.jpg)
![“And her [Eleanor Roosevelt] Grandmother Hall provided her really with a quite wonderful education, and a freedom that, within the framework of Tivoli (which is a framework of discipline and order) is also a very encouraging and loving one.” quote by Blanche Wiesen Cook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/307/blanche-wiesen-cook-13340_discipline_and-her-eleanor-roosevelt-grandmother-ha_759497.jpg)
![“I think the fact that she [Eleanor Roosevelt] was a woman probably in those days would have been an additional criticism, although first ladies by definition in those days were women. There's always been a problem and still is, about the role the first lady should play, of course. Everybody's seen…” quote by William A. Rusher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dbf/william-a-rusher-20922_clinton_i-think-the-fact-that-she-eleanor-roosev_133419.jpg)
