--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Giving kids whatever they ask for is…" description: "\"Giving kids whatever they ask for is disastrous parenting. There's no sense of something earned. I'm sorry, but when you're 12, you don't need a new ce..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/ewan-mcgregor-2364_cell-phone_giving-kids-whatever-they-ask-for-is-dis_1875666.jpg" --- # Giving kids whatever they ask for is disastrous parenting… ![“Giving kids whatever they ask for is disastrous parenting. There's no sense of something earned. I'm sorry, but when you're 12, you don't need a new cell phone every few months just because a new one comes out.” quote by Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/ewan-mcgregor-2364_cell-phone_giving-kids-whatever-they-ask-for-is-dis_1875666.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/ewan-mcgregor-2364_cell-phone_giving-kids-whatever-they-ask-for-is-dis_1875666.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e45/ewan-mcgregor-2364_cell-phone_giving-kids-whatever-they-ask-for-is-dis_1875666.jpg) > “Giving kids whatever they ask for is disastrous parenting. There's no sense of something earned. I'm sorry, but when you're 12, you don't need a new cell phone every few months just because a new one comes out.” [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Overindulgence deprives children of learning value and responsibility, leading to entitlement and lack of discipline. **In simple terms:** Giving kids everything makes them ungrateful and undisciplined. Key Takeaway Teach kids to earn what they get. Themes parenting discipline values Mood concerned serious Type advice parenting When to use this quote - raising children - budgeting for teens - setting limits - teaching work ethic Key Concepts entitlement earned merit responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance generosity and teaching responsibility? - What limits foster healthy growth? A Different Perspective May hinder motivation to work for goals. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cell phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cell-phone/) [Cells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cells/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Giving Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-kids-839732/) [I m sorry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-m-sorry/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Months](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/months/) [Needs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/needs/) [New](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/new/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parenting Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting-sense-2617554/) [Phone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phone/) [Phones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phones/) [Sense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sense/) [Sorry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorry/) [Technology](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/technology/) ## Related quotes > [I don't have a cell phone (though for years I've kept saying, "soon").](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-hirshfield/i-don-t-have-a-cell-phone-though-for-years-i-ve-kept-saying-soon/) [Jane Hirshfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-hirshfield/) > [I don't believe in e-mail. I rarely use a cell phone and I don't have a fax.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-green/i-don-t-believe-in-e-mail-i-rarely-use-a-cell-phone-and-i-don-t-have/) [Seth Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-green/) > [People have no memory of phone numbers now because of the cell phone - their address book is in a cell phone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-bell/people-have-no-memory-of-phone-numbers-now-because-of-the-cell-phone/) [Gordon Bell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-bell/) > [I ain't never been in no cell that had a phone in it. Can I stay for a while? I ordered some pizza.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-murphy/i-ain-t-never-been-in-no-cell-that-had-a-phone-in-it-can-i-stay-for-a/) [Eddie Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-murphy/) > [My cell phone is my best friend. It's my lifeline to the outside world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/my-cell-phone-is-my-best-friend-it-s-my-lifeline-to-the-outside-world/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [I don't text, I don't have a Blackberry. Literally, I just have a cell phone that I haven't programmed and the whole Bluetooth. No.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-carell/i-don-t-text-i-don-t-have-a-blackberry-literally-i-just-have-a-cell/) [Steve Carell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-carell/) > [Giving kids the chance to see live theatre should not just be free, it should be compulsory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-harewood/giving-kids-the-chance-to-see-live-theatre-should-not-just-be-free-it/) [David Harewood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-harewood/) > [I'm not planning on giving my kids any of my wealth. 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I am gonna be working with Give a Smile. Giving back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ciara/as-of-right-now-i-just-like-giving-wherever-i-can-give-i-am-gonna-be/) [Ciara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ciara/) ## More by Ewan McGregor > [I love film people and actors and I am in the right world because I am one of those people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-love-film-people-and-actors-and-i-am-in-the-right-world-because-i/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I don't want to make decisions about what I'm going to do before I'm doing it because I base my acting off my partner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-don-t-want-to-make-decisions-about-what-i-m-going-to-do-before-i-m/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I wanted to be an actor since I was nine years old.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-wanted-to-be-an-actor-since-i-was-nine-years-old/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I've got a black woolen hat and it's got Pervert written across the front of it. 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And you can sort…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/there-s-something-that-happens-where-you-go-if-you-re-lucky-goodness/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) > [I don't care about Oscars. It's such self-aggrandizing nonsense. It's a way to manipulate people into believing that their choices are what's good. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ewan-mcgregor/i-don-t-care-about-oscars-it-s-such-self-aggrandizing-nonsense-it-s-a/) [Ewan McGregor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) [Explore all 170 Ewan McGregor quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ewan-mcgregor/) ## More Cell phone quotes > [“What you’re holding in your hands is a BookShots Flames story. It’s part of a revolution in reading. Hand-picked by James Patterson, BookShots Flames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ciotta/what-you-re-holding-in-your-hands-is-a-bookshots-flames-story-it-s/) [Beth Ciotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ciotta/) > [“Kindle Paperwhite 3G models use the same technology as cell phones, so they are dependent on cellular coverage areas. By default, a 3G device…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amazon/kindle-paperwhite-3g-models-use-the-same-technology-as-cell-phones-so/) [amazon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amazon/) > [“I’m not sure how the ponies happened, though I have an inkling: “Can I get you anything?” I’ll say, getting up from a dinner…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sloane-crosley/i-m-not-sure-how-the-ponies-happened-though-i-have-an-inkling-can-i/) [Sloane Crosley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sloane-crosley/) > [I like everything with a heaping dose of feminitity, including my cell phone. I created this phone for the classic woman, who like me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kimora-lee-simmons/i-like-everything-with-a-heaping-dose-of-feminitity-including-my-cell/) [Kimora Lee Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kimora-lee-simmons/) > [“People were sitting together, talking and telling stories face-to-face again, instead of staring at a cell phone screens while texting or chatting with someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-foster/people-were-sitting-together-talking-and-telling-stories-face-to-face/) [Mike Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-foster/) > [“To me, at least in retrospect, the really interesting question is why dullness proves to be such a powerful impediment to attention. Why we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-foster-wallace/to-me-at-least-in-retrospect-the-really-interesting-question-is-why/) [David Foster Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-foster-wallace/) > [“Another night then,' Mom said. 'Maybe on the weekend we can have a barbecue and invite your sister.' 'Or,' I said turning to Rafe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelley-armstrong/another-night-then-mom-said-maybe-on-the-weekend-we-can-have-a/) [Kelley Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelley-armstrong/) > [Girls are like cell phones they love to be held and talked to but whewn you press the wrong buttons you will be disconnected](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/superman/girls-are-like-cell-phones-they-love-to-be-held-and-talked-to-but/) [Superman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/superman/) > [Sometimes life really sucks. Then I see your name pop up on my cell phone and I cant help but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/sometimes-life-really-sucks-then-i-see-your-name-pop-up-on-my-cell/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I remember one point seeing I had like 60-some different cell phones. 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