---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: You know, my basic theory about kids…"
description: "\"You know, my basic theory about kids: they are monsters in children ziploc suits, which they discard when they go to school each day.\" — Douglas Clegg"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/douglas-clegg-26546_child_you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they_2510184.jpg"
---

#  You know, my basic theory about kids: they are monsters in…

![“You know, my basic theory about kids: they are monsters in children ziploc suits, which they discard when they go to school each day.” quote by Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/douglas-clegg-26546_child_you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they_2510184.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/douglas-clegg-26546_child_you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they_2510184.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/douglas-clegg-26546_child_you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they_2510184.jpg)

> “You know, my basic theory about kids: they are monsters in children ziploc suits, which they discard when they go to school each day.”

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

## About This Quote

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

Children shed their raw, instinctual selves when forced into structured environments like school.

**In simple terms:** Kids hide their wild nature in school.

Key Takeaway

Value authentic expression over conformity.

Themes

childhood conformity identity

Mood

thoughtful critical

Type

philosophical observational

When to use this quote

- education
- parenting
- personal development
- mental health

Key Concepts

socialization masking psychology

Questions to Reflect On

- What parts of yourself do you hide in formal settings?
- Is conformity always harmful?

A Different Perspective

Children may lose parts of themselves to fit expectations.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Ziploc](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-ziploc-1147739/) [Each day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/each-day/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Kids Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids-monsters-1147740/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Monsters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters/) [Monsters Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/monsters-children-1147743/) [School](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/school/) [Suits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suits/) [Theory](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory/) [Theory Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/theory-kids-1147741/) [Ziploc Suits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ziploc-suits-1147742/)

## Related quotes

> [“I'm like any other kid; I've seen the monsters in the closet and under the bed. The only difference between me and other kids…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-cornwell-jordan/i-m-like-any-other-kid-i-ve-seen-the-monsters-in-the-closet-and-under/)

[Michelle Cornwell-Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-cornwell-jordan/)

> [Deep down, I'm a small-town girl who has it drilled in her DNA to grow up, marry, have kids, settle down. Maybe I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mouni-roy/deep-down-i-m-a-small-town-girl-who-has-it-drilled-in-her-dna-to-grow/)

[Mouni Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mouni-roy/)

> [If the estimated age of the cosmos were shortened to seventy-two years, a human life would take about ten seconds. But look at time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-grudin/if-the-estimated-age-of-the-cosmos-were-shortened-to-seventy-two/)

[Robert Grudin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-grudin/)

> [I think I learned to appreciate and treasure each day, because you don't know how many you're going to be given.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-day-o-connor/i-think-i-learned-to-appreciate-and-treasure-each-day-because-you-don/)

[Sandra Day O'Connor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-day-o-connor/)

> [If we cannot meet our everyday surroundings with equanimity and pleasure and grow each day in some useful direction, then... life is on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luther-burbank/if-we-cannot-meet-our-everyday-surroundings-with-equanimity-and/)

[Luther Burbank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luther-burbank/)

> [How long it takes us, each day, to know each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/how-long-it-takes-us-each-day-to-know-each-other/)

[Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/)

> [She would consider each day a miracle - which indeed it is, when you consider the number of unexpected things that could happen in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/she-would-consider-each-day-a-miracle-which-indeed-it-is-when-you/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [There should be a period of time during each practice session when you perform. Invite some friends in to your practice room and play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-jacobs/there-should-be-a-period-of-time-during-each-practice-session-when/)

[Arnold Jacobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-jacobs/)

> [Always seek to excel yourself. Put yourself in competition with yourself each day. Each morning look back upon your work of yesterday and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-sheldon/always-seek-to-excel-yourself-put-yourself-in-competition-with/)

[Charles Sheldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-sheldon/)

> [If you find what you do each day seems to have no link to any higher purpose, you probably want to rethink what you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-find-what-you-do-each-day-seems-to-have-no-link-to-any-higher/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Something is wrong if workers do not look around each day, find things that are tedious or boring, and then rewrite the procedures. Even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taiichi-ohno/something-is-wrong-if-workers-do-not-look-around-each-day-find-things/)

[Taiichi Ohno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taiichi-ohno/)

> [One of the most powerful concepts, one which is a sure cure for lack of confidence, is the thought that God is with you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-vincent-peale/one-of-the-most-powerful-concepts-one-which-is-a-sure-cure-for-lack/)

[Norman Vincent Peale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-vincent-peale/)

> [Thought determines action. Do not let your whole life be a reaction to the things that happen around you each day. Let your life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-kelly/thought-determines-action-do-not-let-your-whole-life-be-a-reaction-to/)

[Matthew Kelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-kelly/)

> [Mechanical instruments, potentially a vehicle of rational human purposes, are scarcely a blessing when they enable the gossip of the village idiot and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-mumford/mechanical-instruments-potentially-a-vehicle-of-rational-human/)

[Lewis Mumford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-mumford/)

> [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/)

[Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/)

## More by Douglas Clegg

> [“Old Marsh wore a look of sorrow upon his face. “You called him, miss. You called him. You must send him back now. You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/old-marsh-wore-a-look-of-sorrow-upon-his-face-you-called-him-miss-you/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“Death is a gift, so long as it is nature’s hand.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/death-is-a-gift-so-long-as-it-is-nature-s-hand/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“Death has a price, and all who bargain with the dead must pay it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/death-has-a-price-and-all-who-bargain-with-the-dead-must-pay-it/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“I understood, then, where his madness had come from: He, too, had experienced the loss of the good and the victory of the evil.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/i-understood-then-where-his-madness-had-come-from-he-too-had/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“He thought he could hear the hum of the universe as he sat there. The airwaves of God, maybe, that kept the whole lunatic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/he-thought-he-could-hear-the-hum-of-the-universe-as-he-sat-there-the/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“We kill, kill, kill. Flesh, spirit, whatever gets in our way. It's like our whole purpose is to extinguish life. And for those who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/we-kill-kill-kill-flesh-spirit-whatever-gets-in-our-way-it-s-like-our/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [Victory is freedom of mind and body.' I believe that is true. I would go further and say that victory is freedom of mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/victory-is-freedom-of-mind-and-body-i-believe-that-is-true-i-would-go/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“It is more magnificent than what I thought heaven might be, and yet it is all of its wonder, as well.” ... "Iris, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/it-is-more-magnificent-than-what-i-thought-heaven-might-be-and-yet-it/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“But he was exhausted, too, and not even feeling as if he were alive. Inside him, it felt as if something brilliant, some fire,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/but-he-was-exhausted-too-and-not-even-feeling-as-if-he-were-alive/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“everything can work out fine if you just plant your feet on the ground and look straight ahead. Nothing is a tragedy unless you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/everything-can-work-out-fine-if-you-just-plant-your-feet-on-the/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“He put his hand over my mouth. His hand felt warm, full of blood, the hand of a living man. “Death is a gift,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/he-put-his-hand-over-my-mouth-his-hand-felt-warm-full-of-blood-the/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“He was too damned innocent. Homer wished he could keep Tad at this point, bonsai him to never grow up, to never have to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/he-was-too-damned-innocent-homer-wished-he-could-keep-tad-at-this/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“Never go in, miss. Never say a prayer at its door. If you are angry, do not seek revenge by the Laughing Maiden stone,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/never-go-in-miss-never-say-a-prayer-at-its-door-if-you-are-angry-do/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [Sometimes, they wait. Sometimes, you see the dead come in to the harbor, and their old dogs are all along the docks, wagging their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/sometimes-they-wait-sometimes-you-see-the-dead-come-in-to-the-harbor/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

> [“Death is not the end of things, my sister. It is the beginning of a greater adventure than this small life you cherish can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/death-is-not-the-end-of-things-my-sister-it-is-the-beginning-of-a/)

[Douglas Clegg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

[Explore all 21 Douglas Clegg quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/)

## More Child quotes

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/)

[Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/)

> [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/)

[LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/)

> [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/)

[Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/)

> [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/)

[Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/)

> [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/)

[Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/)

> [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/)

[Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/)

> [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/)

[Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/)

> [Bring up your children in the way you think other peoples children should go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/bring-up-your-children-in-the-way-you-think-other-peoples-children/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/)

[Sheila Kamerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kamerman/)

> [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/)

[Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/)

[Browse all 10,700 Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "You know, my basic theory about kids: they are monsters in children ziploc suits, which they discard when they go to school each day.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Douglas Clegg"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they-are-monsters-in-children/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Child"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they-are-monsters-in-children/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/douglas-clegg-26546_child_you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they_2510184.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/douglas-clegg-26546_child_you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they_2510184.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef5/douglas-clegg-26546_child_you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they_2510184.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“You know, my basic theory about kids: they are monsters in children ziploc suits, which they discard when…” — Douglas Clegg",
                "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": "Douglas Clegg",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-clegg/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "You know, my basic theory about...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they-are-monsters-in-children/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-clegg/you-know-my-basic-theory-about-kids-they-are-monsters-in-children/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
