--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Children crawl before they walk, walk…" description: "\"Children crawl before they walk, walk before they run--each generally a precondition for the other. And with each step they take toward more independen..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/lillian-b-rubin-23157_children_children-crawl-before-they-walk-walk-bef_2249800.jpg" --- # Children crawl before they walk, walk before they… ![“Children crawl before they walk, walk before they run--each generally a precondition for the other. And with each step they take toward more independence, more mastery of the environment, their mothers take a step away--each a small separation, a small distancing.” quote by Lillian B. Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/lillian-b-rubin-23157_children_children-crawl-before-they-walk-walk-bef_2249800.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/lillian-b-rubin-23157_children_children-crawl-before-they-walk-walk-bef_2249800.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9ae/lillian-b-rubin-23157_children_children-crawl-before-they-walk-walk-bef_2249800.jpg) > “Children crawl before they walk, walk before they run--each generally a precondition for the other. And with each step they take toward more independence, more mastery of the environment, their mothers take a step away--each a small separation, a small distancing.” [Lillian B. Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-b-rubin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children develop skills sequentially, and each new independence creates a subtle emotional distance between child and mother. **In simple terms:** Kids grow, moms step back. Key Takeaway Respect the child's growing autonomy. Themes development parenting independence separation Mood reflective empathetic Type advice psychological When to use this quote - parent‑child bonding - educational settings - family counseling Key Concepts psychology attachment theory growth stages Questions to Reflect On - How can mothers support independence while staying emotionally connected? - What rituals help maintain closeness during transitions? A Different Perspective Mothers may feel loss of closeness, which can cause anxiety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Crawl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-crawl-5133490/) [Crawl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crawl/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Environment Mothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment-mothers-5133492/) [Independence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/independence/) [Mastery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mastery/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mothers/) [Mothers Step](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mothers-step-5133491/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Separation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/separation/) [Steps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steps/) [Walk Walk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walk-walk/) [Walks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/walks/) ## Related quotes > [“This is exactly what I need to do right now: to walk, walk, walk, breathe some fresh air, take a look at a city…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/this-is-exactly-what-i-need-to-do-right-now-to-walk-walk-walk-breathe/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [It's your road and your's alone, others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/it-s-your-road-and-your-s-alone-others-may-walk-it-with-you-but-no/) [Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/) > [We have to "walk the walk" not just "talk the talk".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-kivel/we-have-to-walk-the-walk-not-just-talk-the-talk/) [Paul Kivel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-kivel/) > [Its Your Road and you are alone. Others may walk it with you but no one can walk it for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/indraneel/its-your-road-and-you-are-alone-others-may-walk-it-with-you-but-no/) [IndraneeL](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/indraneel/) > [Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-hammerstein-ii/walk-on-walk-on-with-hope-in-your-heart/) [Oscar Hammerstein II](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-hammerstein-ii/) > [“Most people will talk the talk, few will walk the walk; be amongst those few.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/most-people-will-talk-the-talk-few-will-walk-the-walk-be-amongst/) [Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/) > [It's your road and yours alone. Others may walk it with you. But no one can walk it for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rumi/it-s-your-road-and-yours-alone-others-may-walk-it-with-you-but-no-one/) [Rumi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rumi/) > [“If you don't talk the talk you can not walk the walk”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/valerie/if-you-don-t-talk-the-talk-you-can-not-walk-the-walk/) [Valerie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/valerie/) > [Onassis was a man who loved to walk, to walk and talk, and he was the kind of man who doesn't go to sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-salinger/onassis-was-a-man-who-loved-to-walk-to-walk-and-talk-and-he-was-the/) [Pierre Salinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-salinger/) > [“When you walk, walk together.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giovannie-de-sadeleer/when-you-walk-walk-together/) [Giovannie de Sadeleer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giovannie-de-sadeleer/) > [Walk, walk till you reached the end of the road, where all of your dreams awaits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/walk-walk-till-you-reached-the-end-of-the-road-where-all-of-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Some people just talk through Life. They talk, talk, talk and Life is over. Some people walk through Life. They walk, walk, walk and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rvm/some-people-just-talk-through-life-they-talk-talk-talk-and-life-is/) [RVM](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rvm/) > [“In some ways it seemed wrong that he lived here now, in this solitary place. At least part of the time he ought to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-mcnaught/in-some-ways-it-seemed-wrong-that-he-lived-here-now-in-this-solitary/) [Judith McNaught](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-mcnaught/) > [Freeze, freeze in the winter, if you really want to appreciate the summer! Walk, walk at the edge of the precipices, if you rightly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/freeze-freeze-in-the-winter-if-you-really-want-to-appreciate-the/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“Walk the walk...talk ain't necessary”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-akomas-jr/walk-the-walk-talk-ain-t-necessary/) [George Akomas Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-akomas-jr/) ## More by Lillian B. Rubin > [Contrary to all we hear about women and their empty-nest problem, it may be fathers more often than mothers who are pained by thechildren's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-b-rubin/contrary-to-all-we-hear-about-women-and-their-empty-nest-problem-it/) [Lillian B. Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-b-rubin/) > [Sexual freedom is about choice. 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