--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The broad principle, which appears…" description: "\"“The broad principle, which appears throughout this book, bears repeating. Healthy parenting can be boiled down to those two essential ingredients: lov..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/james-c-dobson-23459_books_the-broad-principle-which-appears-throug_1585678.jpg" --- # The broad principle, which appears throughout this book… ![“The broad principle, which appears throughout this book, bears repeating. Healthy parenting can be boiled down to those two essential ingredients: love and control. They must operate in a system of checks and balances. Any concentration on love to the exclusion of control usually breeds disrespect…” quote by James C. Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/james-c-dobson-23459_books_the-broad-principle-which-appears-throug_1585678.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/james-c-dobson-23459_books_the-broad-principle-which-appears-throug_1585678.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2ab/james-c-dobson-23459_books_the-broad-principle-which-appears-throug_1585678.jpg) > ““The broad principle, which appears throughout this book, bears repeating. Healthy parenting can be boiled down to those two essential ingredients: love and control. They must operate in a system of checks and balances. Any concentration on love to the exclusion of control usually breeds disrespect and contempt. Conversely, an authoritarian and oppressive home atmosphere is deeply resented by the child who feels unloved or even hated. The objective for the toddler years is to strike a balance between mercy and justice, affection and authority, love and control.”” [James C. Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-c-dobson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Effective parenting balances love with appropriate authority to foster respect. **In simple terms:** Combine love and control in parenting. Key Takeaway Aim for balanced, respectful relationships. Themes parenting balance authority love Mood thoughtful practical Type parenting advice When to use this quote - raising toddlers - discipline - family counseling - parental guidance Key Concepts Developmental psychology family dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How can parents maintain love while setting limits? - What signs indicate imbalance? A Different Perspective Overemphasis on either side can harm child development. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Checks and balances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/checks-and-balances/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [Healthy parenting is nothing if not a process of empowerment. As we help to raise our children's self-esteem, we also increase their personal power.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hart/healthy-parenting-is-nothing-if-not-a-process-of-empowerment-as-we/) [Louise Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hart/) > [Healthy parenting is especially challenging when our own childhoods weren't healthy. It requires energy, attention, and constant restraint. Realize that you need healing. Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vimala-mcclure/healthy-parenting-is-especially-challenging-when-our-own-childhoods/) Vimala McClure > [“You can’t force love. You can’t control how someone else feels. You just have to enjoy it while it lasts and hope the ride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teresa-mummert/you-can-t-force-love-you-can-t-control-how-someone-else-feels-you/) [Teresa Mummert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teresa-mummert/) > [“Falling in love with you was out of my control, but I do have a say in what happens next. And, I will choose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-newman/falling-in-love-with-you-was-out-of-my-control-but-i-do-have-a-say-in/) [Liz Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-newman/) > [I give you my body, soul, feelings, emotions, heart, love. I give my everything to you. Except my control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/i-give-you-my-body-soul-feelings-emotions-heart-love-i-give-my/) Unkown > [“Was this why it was called falling in love—because you had no control over it? “Here,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-mae-hill/was-this-why-it-was-called-falling-in-love-because-you-had-no-control/) Lena Mae Hill > [“Do not try to understand love, control it or hold it. Although love is humble, it is strong and suffers all, And if it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-b-brewer/do-not-try-to-understand-love-control-it-or-hold-it-although-love-is/) [Nancy B. Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-b-brewer/) > [You can't control who you love, but you should never let who you love control you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonya-parker/you-can-t-control-who-you-love-but-you-should-never-let-who-you-love/) [SONYA PARKER](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonya-parker/) > [If you love someone, DON'T cage them in with your insecurities, because After all, that's NOT love, that's CONTROL, and neither one are very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/if-you-love-someone-don-t-cage-them-in-with-your-insecurities-because/) [Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/) > [“It's not that you should never love something so much it can control you. It's that you need to love something that much so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-s-not-that-you-should-never-love-something-so-much-it-can-control/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Because the thing about love is that we can't control whether we get it, but we can control whether we give it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-scottoline/because-the-thing-about-love-is-that-we-can-t-control-whether-we-get/) [Lisa Scottoline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-scottoline/) > [You cant force love. You cant control how someone else feels. You just have to enjoy it while it lasts and hope the ride…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-cant-force-love-you-cant-control-how-someone-else-feels-you-just/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Where there is control, there can't be love, where there is love, there can't be control.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/where-there-is-control-there-can-t-be-love-where-there-is-love-there/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [Love is something we cant control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-u/love-is-something-we-cant-control/) J U > [I love to be in control of everything I do and everything around me. So that means, you give me a romantic lyric and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/teddy-pendergrass/i-love-to-be-in-control-of-everything-i-do-and-everything-around-me/) [Teddy Pendergrass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teddy-pendergrass/) ## More by James C. 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