---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Children develop character by what they…"
description: "\"Children develop character by what they see, by what they hear, and by what they are repeatedly led to do.\" — James Stenson"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/james-stenson-70322_character_children-develop-character-by-what-they_2773173.jpg"
---

#  Children develop character by what they see, by what they…

![“Children develop character by what they see, by what they hear, and by what they are repeatedly led to do.” quote by James Stenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/james-stenson-70322_character_children-develop-character-by-what-they_2773173.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/james-stenson-70322_character_children-develop-character-by-what-they_2773173.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/james-stenson-70322_character_children-develop-character-by-what-they_2773173.jpg)

> “Children develop character by what they see, by what they hear, and by what they are repeatedly led to do.”

James Stenson

## About This Quote

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

Children form character through observed and heard behaviors, and repeated guidance.

**In simple terms:** Children learn by example.

Key Takeaway

Model behavior to shape character.

Themes

character modeling repetition

Mood

reflective educational

Type

parenting philosophical

When to use this quote

- family routines
- school curricula
- media consumption
- coach mentorship

Key Concepts

education psychology parenting

Questions to Reflect On

- What examples do you set?
- How consistent are your messages?

A Different Perspective

Repetition without authenticity can backfire.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

## Related quotes

> [“If a person’s character makeup determines his future, then child rearing is primarily about helping children to develop character that will take them through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-cloud/if-a-person-s-character-makeup-determines-his-future-then-child/)

[Henry Cloud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-cloud/)

> [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/)

[Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/)

> [I consider parenting skills, those skills that help children: (1) develop clear and important goals; and (2) figure out flexible and persistent ways of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-carey/i-consider-parenting-skills-those-skills-that-help-children-1-develop/)

[Timothy Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-carey/)

> [I want to help children develop strengths that allow them to feel they don't have to push things away mentally... If we 'cotton-ball' kids,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/morris-gleitzman/i-want-to-help-children-develop-strengths-that-allow-them-to-feel/)

[Morris Gleitzman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/morris-gleitzman/)

> [We start out a million years ago in a small community on some grassy plain; we hunt animals, have children, and develop a rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/we-start-out-a-million-years-ago-in-a-small-community-on-some-grassy/)

[Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/)

> [One thing I really envy about my friends who have kids is that as their children develop, they're able to revisit their own developmental…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/one-thing-i-really-envy-about-my-friends-who-have-kids-is-that-as/)

[Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/)

> [“remember that birth order influences but does not determine how children develop.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edify-me/remember-that-birth-order-influences-but-does-not-determine-how/)

Edify.me

> [Other species help children develop empathy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-louv/other-species-help-children-develop-empathy/)

[Richard Louv](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-louv/)

> [“Building resilience depends on the opportunities children have and the relationships they form with parents, caregivers, teachers, and friends. We can start by helping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheryl-sandberg/building-resilience-depends-on-the-opportunities-children-have-and/)

[Sheryl Sandberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheryl-sandberg/)

> [Someday, in the distant future, our grand-children' s grand-children will develop a new equivalent of our classrooms. They will spend many hours in front…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/someday-in-the-distant-future-our-grand-children-s-grand-children/)

[Plato](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/plato/)

> [“Children cannot develop a sense of inner discipline if all of the control comes from the outside.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babara-coloroso/children-cannot-develop-a-sense-of-inner-discipline-if-all-of-the/)

Babara Coloroso

> [Healthy children develop healthy communities, which in turn support a community's economic well-being.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tae-yoo/healthy-children-develop-healthy-communities-which-in-turn-support-a/)

[Tae Yoo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tae-yoo/)

> [“Children develop dysfunction when their development is disrupted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gunda-frey/children-develop-dysfunction-when-their-development-is-disrupted/)

Gunda Frey

> [In early childhood, children develop a set of symbols that 'stand for' things they see in the world around them... Children are happy with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-edwards/in-early-childhood-children-develop-a-set-of-symbols-that-stand-for/)

[Betty Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-edwards/)

> [A good start in life is as important to plants as it is to children: they must develop strong roots in a congenial soil,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vita-sackville-west/a-good-start-in-life-is-as-important-to-plants-as-it-is-to-children/)

[Vita Sackville-West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vita-sackville-west/)

## More by James Stenson

> [Speaking to the Heart is a great encouragement to men who want to be better husbands and fathers. It is both a practical job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stenson/speaking-to-the-heart-is-a-great-encouragement-to-men-who-want-to-be/)

James Stenson

> [If you really thought about who you are, who God is, and how much thanks you owe Him, you would want to go to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stenson/if-you-really-thought-about-who-you-are-who-god-is-and-how-much/)

James Stenson

> [Being 'poor in spirit' (a Christian virtue) means being detached from things - being able to possess goods without being possessed by them. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stenson/being-poor-in-spirit-a-christian-virtue-means-being-detached-from/)

James Stenson

Explore all 4 James Stenson quotes

## More Character quotes

> [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/)

[Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/)

> [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/)

[Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/)

> [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/)

[Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/)

> [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/)

[Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/)

> [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/)

[Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/)

> [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. You better know what she would do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-hudgins/when-you-re-on-a-daytime-drama-you-get-one-page-you-better-damn-well/)

David Hudgins

> [It can sometimes make people fold into themselves and kind of run away, but I think in this case these characters are being forced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-deschanel/it-can-sometimes-make-people-fold-into-themselves-and-kind-of-run/)

[Emily Deschanel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-deschanel/)

> [If you are well-mannered towards those whose views are similar to yours, you may be said to exhibit a fairly good character. But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/)

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

> [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/)

[Harry S. Truman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-s-truman/)

> [In the fight between biology and morality, biology has commonly won in the end.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/semir-zeki/in-the-fight-between-biology-and-morality-biology-has-commonly-won-in/)

[Semir Zeki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/semir-zeki/)

> [Your looks don't make you pretty, it's the person inside who makes you pretty!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-chan/your-looks-don-t-make-you-pretty-it-s-the-person-inside-who-makes-you/)

[Aaron Chan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-chan/)

> [I'm not a huge social media kind of guy, so I don't really know, I don't really ever get... at least in real life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freddie-stroma/i-m-not-a-huge-social-media-kind-of-guy-so-i-don-t-really-know-i-don/)

[Freddie Stroma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freddie-stroma/)

> [If you stood me in a costume next to a computer graphic of the same-looking character, I think there would be a difference. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warwick-davis/if-you-stood-me-in-a-costume-next-to-a-computer-graphic-of-the-same/)

[Warwick Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warwick-davis/)

> [Courage: the most important of all the virtues because without courage, you can't practice any other virtue consistently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/courage-the-most-important-of-all-the-virtues-because-without-courage/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [I'm a character actor - always have been, always will be - and historically, character actors don't come into their own until later in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annie-potts/i-m-a-character-actor-always-have-been-always-will-be-and/)

[Annie Potts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annie-potts/)

[Browse all 32,707 Character quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Children develop character by what they see, by what they hear, and by what they are repeatedly led to do.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "James Stenson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stenson/children-develop-character-by-what-they-see-by-what-they-hear-and-by/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Character"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stenson/children-develop-character-by-what-they-see-by-what-they-hear-and-by/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/james-stenson-70322_character_children-develop-character-by-what-they_2773173.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/james-stenson-70322_character_children-develop-character-by-what-they_2773173.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/james-stenson-70322_character_children-develop-character-by-what-they_2773173.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Children develop character by what they see, by what they hear, and by what they are repeatedly led to do.” — James Stenson",
                "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": "James Stenson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-stenson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Children develop character by what they...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stenson/children-develop-character-by-what-they-see-by-what-they-hear-and-by/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-stenson/children-develop-character-by-what-they-see-by-what-they-hear-and-by/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
