--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: THEY ARE CHILDREN!’ Mr Wallaker roared…" description: "\"“THEY ARE CHILDREN!’ Mr Wallaker roared. ‘They are not corporate products! What they need to acquire is not a constant massaging of the ego, but confid..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c54/helen-fielding-2564_child_they-are-children-mr-wallaker-roared-the_1745379.png" --- # THEY ARE CHILDREN!’ Mr Wallaker roared. ‘They are not… ![“THEY ARE CHILDREN!’ Mr Wallaker roared. ‘They are not corporate products! What they need to acquire is not a constant massaging of the ego, but confidence, fun, affection, love, a sense of self-worth. They need to understand, now, that there will always – always – be someone greater and lesser…” quote by Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c54/helen-fielding-2564_child_they-are-children-mr-wallaker-roared-the_1745379.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c54/helen-fielding-2564_child_they-are-children-mr-wallaker-roared-the_1745379.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c54/helen-fielding-2564_child_they-are-children-mr-wallaker-roared-the_1745379.png) > ““THEY ARE CHILDREN!’ Mr Wallaker roared. ‘They are not corporate products! What they need to acquire is not a constant massaging of the ego, but confidence, fun, affection, love, a sense of self-worth. They need to understand, now, that there will always – always – be someone greater and lesser than themselves, and that their self-worth lies in their contentment with who they are, what they are doing and their increasing competence in doing it.”” [Helen Fielding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/helen-fielding/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote stresses that children need genuine emotional support—confidence, love, and self‑acceptance—rather than ego‑boosting praise; true worth comes from inner contentment and growing competence. **In simple terms:** Children need love and confidence, not ego‑flattery. Key Takeaway Focus on nurturing self‑worth through competence. Themes parenting self‑esteem growth emotional health Mood caring reflective Type advice motivational When to use this quote - family life - education - mentorship - coaching Key Concepts psychology human development self‑concept Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance encouragement with realistic feedback? - What practices build lasting self‑esteem? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on external validation can still undermine confidence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self worth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-worth/) ## Related quotes > [I had heard a lot of key words about Harshad Mehta in books, documentaries, on the Internet, and in the script like his passion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pratik-gandhi/i-had-heard-a-lot-of-key-words-about-harshad-mehta-in-books/) [Pratik Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pratik-gandhi/) > [Confidence is one of those things that no one ever wants to talk about in this industry because confidence and ego run neck and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shawn-michaels/confidence-is-one-of-those-things-that-no-one-ever-wants-to-talk/) [Shawn Michaels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shawn-michaels/) > [You're not going to get every part, so you can't base your sense of self-worth around whether or not you actually land the job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/autumn-reeser/you-re-not-going-to-get-every-part-so-you-can-t-base-your-sense-of/) [Autumn Reeser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/autumn-reeser/) > [I've learned through the years how to base my identity and sense of self-worth on myself and not others. 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