Children Quote by Catherine the Great
““One cannot always know what children are thinking. Children are hard to understand, especially when careful training has accustomed them to obedience, and experience has made them cautious in their conversation with their teachers. Will you not draw from this the fine maxim that one should not scold children too much, but should make them trustful, so that they will not conceal their stupidities from us?””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Advice to Russian Nobility, 1773
Children often hide mistakes when they fear harsh criticism; fostering trust encourages honesty and learning.
In simple terms: Be gentle to children so they share their errors.
Key Takeaway
Encourage trust, not fear.
Themes
parenting
trust
communication
Mood
empathetic
reflective
Type
advice
parenting
When to use this quote
- classroom
- family
- mentoring
- discipline
- conflict resolution
Key Concepts
psychology
authority
honesty
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance discipline with trust?
- What signals make children feel safe to admit errors?
A Different Perspective
Overly lenient discipline may enable repeated mistakes.
