--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Children internalize their parents'…" description: "\"Children internalize their parents' unhappiness. Fortunately, they absorb our contentment just as readily.\" — Lucille Ball" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/lucille-ball-11113_child_children-internalize-their-parents-unhap_2130770.png" --- # Children internalize their parents' unhappiness… ![“Children internalize their parents' unhappiness. Fortunately, they absorb our contentment just as readily.” quote by Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/lucille-ball-11113_child_children-internalize-their-parents-unhap_2130770.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/lucille-ball-11113_child_children-internalize-their-parents-unhap_2130770.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cc7/lucille-ball-11113_child_children-internalize-their-parents-unhap_2130770.png) > “Children internalize their parents' unhappiness. Fortunately, they absorb our contentment just as readily.” [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children absorb emotions from parents; they tend to mirror both unhappiness and contentment they. **In simple terms:** Kids copy parents' feelings. Key Takeaway Foster happiness at home. Themes parenting emotional development family dynamics Mood encouraging reflective Type advice psychological When to use this quote - family life - child upbringing - mental health Key Concepts emotional contagion psychology Questions to Reflect On - How can parents model positivity? - What environments support children's emotional health? A Different Perspective Children may also be affected by external influences beyond parents. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Contentment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contentment/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sadness/) [Unhappiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unhappiness/) ## Related quotes > [From their teenage years on, children are considerably more capable of causing parents unhappiness than bringing them happiness. That is one reason parents who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/from-their-teenage-years-on-children-are-considerably-more-capable-of/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [Our job is to ask questions of children so that children internalize these questions and ask them of themselves and their own emerging drafts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-calkins/our-job-is-to-ask-questions-of-children-so-that-children-internalize/) [Lucy Calkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-calkins/) > [One often learns more from ten days of agony than ten years of contentment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/merle-shain/one-often-learns-more-from-ten-days-of-agony-than-ten-years-of/) [Merle Shain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/merle-shain/) > [I know well, Monsieur, how much you have to endure in your present duty, and I ask Our Lord to strengthen you in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-de-paul/i-know-well-monsieur-how-much-you-have-to-endure-in-your-present-duty/) [Vincent de Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-de-paul/) > [“I was so nearly happy. There remained only a tiny something, something unexplained and inexplicable that buzzed in my ear when the lights were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennie-rooney/i-was-so-nearly-happy-there-remained-only-a-tiny-something-something/) Jennie Rooney > [Every human always wants more. We're never satisfied. True happiness doesn't come until we're fully satisfied with what we have.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-human-always-wants-more-we-re-never-satisfied-true-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Pleasure simply brings more craving, but the problem is that we try to get contentment through pleasure. True contentment can only come through service.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/pleasure-simply-brings-more-craving-but-the-problem-is-that-we-try-to/) [Sri Sri Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/) > [Most of us are not content with our lot because we want a lot more](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marianette-carbito/most-of-us-are-not-content-with-our-lot-because-we-want-a-lot-more/) [Marianette Carbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marianette-carbito/) > [My crown is in my heart, not on my head; not decked with diamonds and Indian stones, nor to be seen: my crown is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/my-crown-is-in-my-heart-not-on-my-head-not-decked-with-diamonds-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Money is made at Christmas out of holly and mistletoe, but who save the vendors would greatly care if no green branch were procurable?…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gissing/money-is-made-at-christmas-out-of-holly-and-mistletoe-but-who-save/) [George Gissing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gissing/) > [“When we perform at our highest level of potential, we are content. Because we have given I best in what we enjoy doing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-j-barrier/when-we-perform-at-our-highest-level-of-potential-we-are-content/) [Ellen J. Barrier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-j-barrier/) > [There are two sorts of content; one is connected with exertion, the other with habits of indolence. The first is a virtue; the other,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-edgeworth/there-are-two-sorts-of-content-one-is-connected-with-exertion-the/) [Maria Edgeworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-edgeworth/) > [If you can find as much happiness at the bottom of the ladder of success as you can at the top, then you understand…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-krause/if-you-can-find-as-much-happiness-at-the-bottom-of-the-ladder-of/) [Tom Krause](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-krause/) > [I may not have everything I want in life but I have all I will ever need to make my life complete, my family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-may-not-have-everything-i-want-in-life-but-i-have-all-i-will-ever/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) ## More by Lucille Ball > [I would rather regret the things that I have done than the things that I have not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-would-rather-regret-the-things-that-i-have-done-than-the-things/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [In life, all good things come hard, but wisdom is the hardest to come by.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/in-life-all-good-things-come-hard-but-wisdom-is-the-hardest-to-come-by/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [“I'd rather regret the things I have done than the things that I haven't.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-d-rather-regret-the-things-i-have-done-than-the-things-that-i-haven/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [I was shy for several years in my early days in Hollywood until I figured out that no one really gave a damn if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-was-shy-for-several-years-in-my-early-days-in-hollywood-until-i/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/the-secret-of-staying-young-is-to-live-honestly-eat-slowly-and-lie/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall in love with a gorgeous redhead!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/once-in-his-life-every-man-is-entitled-to-fall-in-love-with-a/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [The secret to staying young is to live honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/the-secret-to-staying-young-is-to-live-honestly-eat-slowly-and-lie/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [“One of the things I learned the hard way was that it doesn't pay to get discouraged. 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Luck is hard work - and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/luck-luck-is-hard-work-and-realizing-what-is-opportunity-and-what-isn/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) > [I don't suppose that hard work, discipline, and a perfectionist attitude toward my work did me any harm. They are a big part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucille-ball/i-don-t-suppose-that-hard-work-discipline-and-a-perfectionist/) [Lucille Ball](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) [Explore all 61 Lucille Ball quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucille-ball/) ## More Child quotes > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. 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Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [Bring up your children in the way you think other peoples children should go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/bring-up-your-children-in-the-way-you-think-other-peoples-children/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) [Browse all 10,700 Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Children internalize their parents' unhappiness. 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