---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The first service a child doth his father…"
description: "\"The first service a child doth his father is to make him foolish.\" — George Herbert"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/george-herbert-107_children_the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-fathe_961544.jpg"
---

#  The first service a child doth his father is to make him…

![“The first service a child doth his father is to make him foolish.” quote by George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/george-herbert-107_children_the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-fathe_961544.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/george-herbert-107_children_the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-fathe_961544.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/george-herbert-107_children_the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-fathe_961544.jpg)

> “The first service a child doth his father is to make him foolish.”

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

## About This Quote

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

A child’s first duty to his father is to act foolishly, highlighting the innocence and playful rebellion of youth.

**In simple terms:** Children should be playful with fathers.

Key Takeaway

Embrace playful humility.

Themes

family playfulness growth

Mood

lighthearted reflective

Type

aphilosophical humorous

When to use this quote

- family gatherings
- parent‑child bonding
- teaching moments

Key Concepts

parental dynamics innocence

Questions to Reflect On

- How does playful foolishness strengthen bonds?
- When is it appropriate?

A Different Perspective

May be misinterpreted as disrespectful.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Service](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/service/)

## Related quotes

> [The first service a child does his father is to make him foolish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/the-first-service-a-child-does-his-father-is-to-make-him-foolish/)

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

> [“If they cannot make you less foolish, at least let them give you hope.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-sanderson/if-they-cannot-make-you-less-foolish-at-least-let-them-give-you-hope/)

[Brandon Sanderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-sanderson/)

> [Empty Chambers make foolish maides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/empty-chambers-make-foolish-maides/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [It's strange what desire will make foolish people do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-strange-what-desire-will-make-foolish-people-do/)

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

> [I believe the best service to the child is the service closest to the child, and children who are victims of neglect, abuse, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-guinn/i-believe-the-best-service-to-the-child-is-the-service-closest-to-the/)

[Kenny Guinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-guinn/)

> [A lot of intelligent women make foolish choices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/a-lot-of-intelligent-women-make-foolish-choices/)

[Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/)

> [I know that young people sometimes, caught up in the moment, make some very foolish decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/i-know-that-young-people-sometimes-caught-up-in-the-moment-make-some/)

[Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/)

> [Only fools make foolish things. Only fools make foolish remarks.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bulumko-pantsi/only-fools-make-foolish-things-only-fools-make-foolish-remarks/)

[Bulumko Pantsi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bulumko-pantsi/)

> [We all do make foolish mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-ford/we-all-do-make-foolish-mistakes/)

[Susan Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-ford/)

> [He that's foolish in the fault, let him be wise in the punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/he-that-s-foolish-in-the-fault-let-him-be-wise-in-the-punishment/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [Foolish tongues talke by the dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/foolish-tongues-talke-by-the-dozen/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [My father was in the military; he was a captain. His service was to quote-unquote integrate the Armed Forces overseas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-morton/my-father-was-in-the-military-he-was-a-captain-his-service-was-to/)

[Joe Morton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-morton/)

> [Regrets are just a way for the foolish and the guilty to pass the time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gensoumaden-saiyuki/regrets-are-just-a-way-for-the-foolish-and-the-guilty-to-pass-the-time/)

Gensoumaden Saiyuki

> [I was so foolish to ever leave your side, Searching for what was right before my eyes. It was me who didn't realize, 'til…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmine-sullivan/i-was-so-foolish-to-ever-leave-your-side-searching-for-what-was-right/)

[Jazmine Sullivan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmine-sullivan/)

> [...it isn't foolish or wicked to enjoy. Wickedness is hurting people on purpose. I love what you are and who you are and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-macdonald/it-isn-t-foolish-or-wicked-to-enjoy-wickedness-is-hurting-people-on/)

[John D. MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-macdonald/)

## More by George Herbert

> [Sum up at night what thou hast done by day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/sum-up-at-night-what-thou-hast-done-by-day/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [Beare with evill, and expect good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/beare-with-evill-and-expect-good/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [ In the house of a Fidler, all fiddle. \[In the house of the fiddler all fiddle.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-the-house-of-a-fidler-all-fiddle-in-the-house-of-the-fiddler-all/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [By all means use some time to be alone, salute thyself, see what thy soul doth wear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/by-all-means-use-some-time-to-be-alone-salute-thyself-see-what-thy/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [Every one is weary, the poore in seeking, the rich in keeping, the good in learning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/every-one-is-weary-the-poore-in-seeking-the-rich-in-keeping-the-good/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [He is a great Necromancer, for he asks counsel counsell of the Dead (i.e. books).](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/he-is-a-great-necromancer-for-he-asks-counsel-counsell-of-the-dead-i/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [If all fooles had babies, wee should want fuell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/if-all-fooles-had-babies-wee-should-want-fuell/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [Weight justly and sell dearely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/weight-justly-and-sell-dearely/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [Could have recovered greenness?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/could-have-recovered-greenness/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [In every country dogges bite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-every-country-dogges-bite/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [The back-doore robs the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-back-doore-robs-the-house/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [In cloths cheap handsomeness, doth bear the bell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/in-cloths-cheap-handsomeness-doth-bear-the-bell/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [Foolish tongues talke by the dozen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/foolish-tongues-talke-by-the-dozen/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [ Spectacles are deaths Harquebuze. \[Spectacles are death's arquebuse.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/spectacles-are-deaths-harquebuze-spectacles-are-death-s-arquebuse/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

> [None saies his Garner is full.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/none-saies-his-garner-is-full/)

[George Herbert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

[Explore all 1,285 George Herbert quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

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

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

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

> [“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 a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The first service a child doth his father is to make him foolish.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "George Herbert"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-father-is-to-make-him-foolish/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-father-is-to-make-him-foolish/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/george-herbert-107_children_the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-fathe_961544.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/george-herbert-107_children_the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-fathe_961544.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bd6/george-herbert-107_children_the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-fathe_961544.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The first service a child doth his father is to make him foolish.” — George Herbert",
                "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": "George Herbert",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-herbert/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The first service a child doth...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-father-is-to-make-him-foolish/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-herbert/the-first-service-a-child-doth-his-father-is-to-make-him-foolish/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
