---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Here's what I've learned about raising…"
description: "\"Here's what I've learned about raising boys... if you keep 'em busy, they're fine. You let 'em get bored, they'll dismantle your house board by board.\"..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/kenny-rogers-7905_boards_here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-b_1241704.jpg"
---

#  Here's what I've learned about raising boys... if you keep…

![“Here's what I've learned about raising boys... if you keep 'em busy, they're fine. You let 'em get bored, they'll dismantle your house board by board.” quote by Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/kenny-rogers-7905_boards_here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-b_1241704.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/kenny-rogers-7905_boards_here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-b_1241704.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/kenny-rogers-7905_boards_here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-b_1241704.jpg)

> “Here's what I've learned about raising boys... if you keep 'em busy, they're fine. You let 'em get bored, they'll dismantle your house board by board.”

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

## About This Quote

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

Keeping boys occupied prevents destructive behavior; boredom leads to chaos.

**In simple terms:** Busy boys stay safe.

Key Takeaway

Provide engaging activities.

Themes

parenting behavior discipline

Mood

concerned practical

Type

advice parenting

When to use this quote

- family life
- childcare
- home maintenance
- preventing mischief

Key Concepts

psychology risk management

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you balance structured play with free time?
- What activities stimulate constructive energy?

A Different Perspective

If children are overly supervised they may lose creativity.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bored](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bored/) [Boys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/boys/)

## Related quotes

> [Is raising boys different from raising girls? Oh my goodness, yes! It's a different species, and I love them for that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandi-toksvig/is-raising-boys-different-from-raising-girls-oh-my-goodness-yes-it-s/)

[Sandi Toksvig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandi-toksvig/)

> [Growing up raising three boys on your own is either gonna make you strong or make you crazy. It definitely made my mom strong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rasheed-wallace/growing-up-raising-three-boys-on-your-own-is-either-gonna-make-you/)

[Rasheed Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rasheed-wallace/)

> [Raising three boys is a huge responsibility for me, especially in this day and time when I look around and there's a lack of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-turner/raising-three-boys-is-a-huge-responsibility-for-me-especially-in-this/)

[Josh Turner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-turner/)

> [Raising boys has made me a more generous woman than I really am. Undoubtedly, there are other routes to learning the wishes and dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-blakely/raising-boys-has-made-me-a-more-generous-woman-than-i-really-am/)

[Mary Blakely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-blakely/)

> [When winter fails to provide an adequate snow base, my boys bring their sleds in the house and ride them down the stairs. Just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-eldredge/when-winter-fails-to-provide-an-adequate-snow-base-my-boys-bring/)

[John Eldredge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-eldredge/)

> [I'm just doing my best to have a tremendous impact on their growth, raising them from boys to young men. We have an open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-vaughan/i-m-just-doing-my-best-to-have-a-tremendous-impact-on-their-growth/)

[Greg Vaughan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-vaughan/)

> [I was a social worker most of my life while raising my two boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karamo-brown/i-was-a-social-worker-most-of-my-life-while-raising-my-two-boys/)

[Karamo Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karamo-brown/)

> [We're not raising grass. We're raising boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harmon-killebrew/we-re-not-raising-grass-we-re-raising-boys/)

[Harmon Killebrew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harmon-killebrew/)

> [Girls can doo anything boys can do but we can do em in highheels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kaycat/girls-can-doo-anything-boys-can-do-but-we-can-do-em-in-highheels/)

Kaycat

> [“don’t care how big they are, boys; they can’t do anything if you get ’em up off the ground.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-johnson/don-t-care-how-big-they-are-boys-they-can-t-do-anything-if-you-get-em/)

[Craig Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-johnson/)

> [When it comes to raising children, I believe in give and take. I give orders and they take 'em.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-mac/when-it-comes-to-raising-children-i-believe-in-give-and-take-i-give/)

[Bernie Mac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-mac/)

> [Raising five boys is a handful, trust me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/raising-five-boys-is-a-handful-trust-me/)

[Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/)

> [My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, Youre tearing up the grass.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sangfroid-stalker/my-father-used-to-play-with-my-brother-and-me-in-the-yard-mother-2/)

[SangFroid Stalker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sangfroid-stalker/)

> [My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You're tearing up the grass';…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harmon-killebrew/my-father-used-to-play-with-my-brother-and-me-in-the-yard-mother/)

[Harmon Killebrew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harmon-killebrew/)

> [I really think that Muslim people should stop raising their boys and girls that way. They instill a macho culture right from the start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sibel-kekilli/i-really-think-that-muslim-people-should-stop-raising-their-boys-and/)

[Sibel Kekilli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sibel-kekilli/)

## More by Kenny Rogers

> [Then he bummed a cigarette.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/then-he-bummed-a-cigarette/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [I love Viagra. I don't need it, but I tried it. It's a great legal drug.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/i-love-viagra-i-don-t-need-it-but-i-tried-it-it-s-a-great-legal-drug/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [There's a new hit rock group or singer every five minutes, but with country music, you have one hit and those people love you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/there-s-a-new-hit-rock-group-or-singer-every-five-minutes-but-with/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [Friendships come and go, but families are forever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/friendships-come-and-go-but-families-are-forever/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [Out the window at the darkness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/out-the-window-at-the-darkness/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [Music is what I am, everything else is what I do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/music-is-what-i-am-everything-else-is-what-i-do/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [Radio is aimed at the 30-year-old market, so you have to have great music and appeal to get that age group. And you need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/radio-is-aimed-at-the-30-year-old-market-so-you-have-to-have-great/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [We were both too tired to sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/we-were-both-too-tired-to-sleep/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [There is a trade off - as you grow older you gain wisdom but you lose spontaneity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/there-is-a-trade-off-as-you-grow-older-you-gain-wisdom-but-you-lose/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [If you're gonna play the game, boy. You gotta learn to play it right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/if-you-re-gonna-play-the-game-boy-you-gotta-learn-to-play-it-right/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [It won't mean you're weak if you turn the other cheek.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/it-won-t-mean-you-re-weak-if-you-turn-the-other-cheek/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [For a taste of your whiskey.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/for-a-taste-of-your-whiskey/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/every-gambler-knows-that-the-secret-to-survivin/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [Stay away from trouble when you can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/stay-away-from-trouble-when-you-can/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

> [When the dealin's done.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/when-the-dealin-s-done/)

[Kenny Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

[Explore all 86 Kenny Rogers quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/)

## More Boards quotes

> [One of the worst things to come out of the Consumer Protection Board's misleading claims is the impression that government resources are to hard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-lesko/one-of-the-worst-things-to-come-out-of-the-consumer-protection-board/)

[Matthew Lesko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-lesko/)

> [I am somewhat influenced by the years that I've spent trying to actually get things done, whether it was reforming education in Arkansas or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/i-am-somewhat-influenced-by-the-years-that-i-ve-spent-trying-to/)

[Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/)

> [Cows are a lot smarter across the board than bulls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-haden-church/cows-are-a-lot-smarter-across-the-board-than-bulls/)

[Thomas Haden Church](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-haden-church/)

> [Some guys need to see things on a grease board, ... I like when you can see it in your mind. And that's what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peyton-manning/some-guys-need-to-see-things-on-a-grease-board-i-like-when-you-can/)

[Peyton Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peyton-manning/)

> [I am formally accountable to the steering board of the PIC, and I meet with nine ambassadors from the PIC every week. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-ashdown/i-am-formally-accountable-to-the-steering-board-of-the-pic-and-i-meet/)

[Paddy Ashdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-ashdown/)

> [You are also asked to take an oath, and that's the oath of service. The oath of service is not to secrecy, but to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/you-are-also-asked-to-take-an-oath-and-that-s-the-oath-of-service-the/)

[Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/)

> [When his highness sends a ship to Egypt, does he trouble his head whether the mice on board are at their ease or not?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/when-his-highness-sends-a-ship-to-egypt-does-he-trouble-his-head/)

[Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/)

> [Perhaps we have failed as human beings. Perhaps we have embarrassed ourselves to the natural world. We have been rigorous and willful in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sufjan-stevens/perhaps-we-have-failed-as-human-beings-perhaps-we-have-embarrassed/)

[Sufjan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sufjan-stevens/)

> [Once scouting fully opens its doors to all who desire the same experience that so fully enriched me as a young person, I will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/once-scouting-fully-opens-its-doors-to-all-who-desire-the-same/)

[Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/)

> [Politicians should be dedicated to the welfare of the people, but sometimes politics becomes like a game of chess, in which the sole aim…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/politicians-should-be-dedicated-to-the-welfare-of-the-people-but/)

[Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/)

> [This world is not a platform where you will hear Thalberg-piano-playing. It is a piano manufactory, where are dust and shavings and boards, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/this-world-is-not-a-platform-where-you-will-hear-thalberg-piano/)

[Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/)

> [He is nothing more than one of my pawns. However, he is not a normal pawn. He is a pawn that can get across…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yana-toboso/he-is-nothing-more-than-one-of-my-pawns-however-he-is-not-a-normal/)

[Yana Toboso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yana-toboso/)

> [Corporations are totalitarian institutions. Board of directors at the top of managers give orders, everyone follows orders… At the very bottom of command, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/corporations-are-totalitarian-institutions-board-of-directors-at-the/)

[Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/)

> [Our current use of time is not rational. There is therefore no point in seeking marginal improvements in how we spend our time. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-koch/our-current-use-of-time-is-not-rational-there-is-therefore-no-point/)

[Richard Koch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-koch/)

> [When I was in college, I lost my scholarship one year. I had enough money for tuition, but not room and board. So I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-hass/when-i-was-in-college-i-lost-my-scholarship-one-year-i-had-enough/)

[Robert Hass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-hass/)

Browse all 1,220 Boards quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Here's what I've learned about raising boys... if you keep 'em busy, they're fine. You let 'em get bored, they'll dismantle your house board by board.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kenny Rogers"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-boys-if-you-keep-em-busy-they/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Boards"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-boys-if-you-keep-em-busy-they/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/kenny-rogers-7905_boards_here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-b_1241704.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/kenny-rogers-7905_boards_here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-b_1241704.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d66/kenny-rogers-7905_boards_here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-b_1241704.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Here's what I've learned about raising boys... if you keep 'em busy, they're fine. You let 'em get bored…” — Kenny Rogers",
                "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": "Kenny Rogers",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenny-rogers/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Here's what I've learned about raising...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-boys-if-you-keep-em-busy-they/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenny-rogers/here-s-what-i-ve-learned-about-raising-boys-if-you-keep-em-busy-they/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
