---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There's a big thing in Canada that…"
description: "\"There's a big thing in Canada that parents need to talk to their children about drugs and sex. I don't think talking to your kids about war is any less..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/deborah-ellis-24587_about_there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-paren_2585832.png"
---

#  There's a big thing in Canada that parents need to talk to…

![“There's a big thing in Canada that parents need to talk to their children about drugs and sex. I don't think talking to your kids about war is any less important than that.” quote by Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/deborah-ellis-24587_about_there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-paren_2585832.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/deborah-ellis-24587_about_there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-paren_2585832.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/deborah-ellis-24587_about_there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-paren_2585832.png)

> “There's a big thing in Canada that parents need to talk to their children about drugs and sex. I don't think talking to your kids about war is any less important than that.”

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Parents should discuss both drug/sex and war with children, recognizing all are vital for informed growth.

**In simple terms:** Talk about drugs, sex, and war.

Key Takeaway

Open dialogue on tough topics.

Themes

parenting education social issues

Mood

cautious supportive

Type

practical guidance

When to use this quote

- family meals
- school programs
- community workshops

Key Concepts

communication risk awareness

Questions to Reflect On

- How to age‑appropriate difficult topics?
- What resources help these conversations?

A Different Perspective

Some topics may be too mature for certain ages.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Canada](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/canada/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sex/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/)

## Related quotes

> [As a kid, the first thing you got was your military men. You set yourself up in the sandbox and go to war. Then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-foxx/as-a-kid-the-first-thing-you-got-was-your-military-men-you-set/)

[Jamie Foxx](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-foxx/)

> [The trouble with selfish motives is that they harden into principles, and you end up sending your kids to war for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-breault/the-trouble-with-selfish-motives-is-that-they-harden-into-principles/)

[Robert Breault](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-breault/)

> [I can tell you this: If I'm ever in a position to call the shots, I'm not going to rush to send somebody else's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/i-can-tell-you-this-if-i-m-ever-in-a-position-to-call-the-shots-i-m/)

[George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/)

> [It is not enough to win a war; it is more important to organize the peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/it-is-not-enough-to-win-a-war-it-is-more-important-to-organize-the/)

[Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/)

> [“Nobody ever wanted to go to war, but if a war came your way, it might as well be the right war, about the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/nobody-ever-wanted-to-go-to-war-but-if-a-war-came-your-way-it-might/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [Government acquisition of food supplies in time of war is no less important than conscription. Equity is the fundamental principle applicable to both these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiang-kai-shek/government-acquisition-of-food-supplies-in-time-of-war-is-no-less/)

[Chiang Kai-shek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiang-kai-shek/)

> [Everyone is interested in war, in that people don't want it to happen. I'm much more interested in peace than in war but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-morpurgo/everyone-is-interested-in-war-in-that-people-don-t-want-it-to-happen/)

[Michael Morpurgo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-morpurgo/)

> [War is too important a matter to be left to the military.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/georges-clemenceau/war-is-too-important-a-matter-to-be-left-to-the-military/)

[Georges Clemenceau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/georges-clemenceau/)

> [I have come to believe there is nothing in the lives of human beings more terrifying than war and nothing more important than for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-kovic/i-have-come-to-believe-there-is-nothing-in-the-lives-of-human-beings/)

[Ron Kovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-kovic/)

> [For Americans war is almost all of the time a nuisance, and military skill is a luxury like Mah-Jongg. But when the issue is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-w-brogan/for-americans-war-is-almost-all-of-the-time-a-nuisance-and-military/)

[D. W Brogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-w-brogan/)

> [World War One is an important part of Ireland's multi-layered history during which tens of thousands Irish people lost their lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mcguinness/world-war-one-is-an-important-part-of-ireland-s-multi-layered-history/)

[Martin McGuinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mcguinness/)

> [Make it plain that you have no time for war, that you have more important things to do…let the diplomats and marshals of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilhelm-reich/make-it-plain-that-you-have-no-time-for-war-that-you-have-more/)

[Wilhelm Reich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilhelm-reich/)

> [I believe that the power to declare war is most important in limiting the powers of the national government in regard to the rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/i-believe-that-the-power-to-declare-war-is-most-important-in-limiting/)

[John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/)

> [I thought my story, my experiences as a 2-year-old 'evacuee' from London at the outset of the war, could be important. What happened to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vanessa-redgrave/i-thought-my-story-my-experiences-as-a-2-year-old-evacuee-from-london/)

[Vanessa Redgrave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vanessa-redgrave/)

> [I believe that the power to declare war is most important in limiting the powers of the national government in regard to the rights…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-yoo/i-believe-that-the-power-to-declare-war-is-most-important-in-limiting-2/)

[John Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-yoo/)

## More by Deborah Ellis

> [In refugee camps around the world, I met people who were gone. They were still walking around but had lost so much that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/in-refugee-camps-around-the-world-i-met-people-who-were-gone-they/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [I think most people, no matter what their situation, manage to find joy and comfort in their daily lives. I also think things fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/i-think-most-people-no-matter-what-their-situation-manage-to-find-joy/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [We owe it to our children to be honest about the world and to provide them with material written specially for them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/we-owe-it-to-our-children-to-be-honest-about-the-world-and-to-provide/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [“The path you are on is one you chose for yourself”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/the-path-you-are-on-is-one-you-chose-for-yourself/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [In Afghanistan, there have been a lot of teachers assassinated, schools are being blown up, girls are harassed and in some cases, attacked on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/in-afghanistan-there-have-been-a-lot-of-teachers-assassinated-schools/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [“Like it or not, you need to know how to do this. Your future depends on it. You give up on this, you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/like-it-or-not-you-need-to-know-how-to-do-this-your-future-depends-on/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [One of the things that has really hit home for me is that the world is how we decide it is going to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/one-of-the-things-that-has-really-hit-home-for-me-is-that-the-world/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [I was really bored, pretty antisocial, and not much of a joiner, and people thought that was a problem. I hated high school. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/i-was-really-bored-pretty-antisocial-and-not-much-of-a-joiner-and/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [“I didn’t create this world,” she said to herself. “I only have to live in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/i-didn-t-create-this-world-she-said-to-herself-i-only-have-to-live-in/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [If I'm going to be a pessimist, then I should just stop writing for young people because that's too heavy a burden to put…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/if-i-m-going-to-be-a-pessimist-then-i-should-just-stop-writing-for/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [When the Taliban took over in 1996, the news of their crimes hit the Toronto papers. As a feminist and as an anti-war activist,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/when-the-taliban-took-over-in-1996-the-news-of-their-crimes-hit-the/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [You have to see the human being in the enemy. If there is potential for change, there is still hope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/you-have-to-see-the-human-being-in-the-enemy-if-there-is-potential/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [While the war in Iraq was raging, I spent some time in neighbouring Jordan, meeting with Iraqi refugees who fled their country to try…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/while-the-war-in-iraq-was-raging-i-spent-some-time-in-neighbouring/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [Nobody really owns anything. We give back our bodies at the end of our lives. We own our thoughts, but everything else is just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/nobody-really-owns-anything-we-give-back-our-bodies-at-the-end-of-our/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

> [“Grownups shouldn’t turn their backs on children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/grownups-shouldn-t-turn-their-backs-on-children/)

[Deborah Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

[Explore all 24 Deborah Ellis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

Browse all 26,122 About quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There's a big thing in Canada that parents need to talk to their children about drugs and sex. I don't think talking to your kids about war is any less important than that.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Deborah Ellis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-parents-need-to-talk-to-their/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-parents-need-to-talk-to-their/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/deborah-ellis-24587_about_there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-paren_2585832.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/deborah-ellis-24587_about_there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-paren_2585832.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4e4/deborah-ellis-24587_about_there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-paren_2585832.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There's a big thing in Canada that parents need to talk to their children about drugs and sex. I don't think…” — Deborah Ellis",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Deborah Ellis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-ellis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There's a big thing in Canada...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-parents-need-to-talk-to-their/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-ellis/there-s-a-big-thing-in-canada-that-parents-need-to-talk-to-their/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
