--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: No one can ever prepare a parent for two…" description: "\"No one can ever prepare a parent for two things: the immeasurable love that comes with having a child; and the sorrow and confusion that comes when you..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/maryanne-wolf-10802_children_no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two_1530415.jpg" --- # No one can ever prepare a parent for two things: the… ![“No one can ever prepare a parent for two things: the immeasurable love that comes with having a child; and the sorrow and confusion that comes when your child appears to learn in a different way from other children.” quote by Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/maryanne-wolf-10802_children_no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two_1530415.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/maryanne-wolf-10802_children_no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two_1530415.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/maryanne-wolf-10802_children_no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two_1530415.jpg) > “No one can ever prepare a parent for two things: the immeasurable love that comes with having a child; and the sorrow and confusion that comes when your child appears to learn in a different way from other children.” [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parenting a neurodivergent child brings profound love and unique challenges. **In simple terms:** Loving a neurodivergent child is both joyful and hard. Key Takeaway Support and understand diverse learning styles. Themes parenting neurodiversity love Mood empathetic hopeful Type educational inspirational When to use this quote - school meetings - family routines - therapy sessions - advocacy events Key Concepts developmental psychology empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you advocate for better support? - What strengths does your child’s difference bring? A Different Perspective Society often lacks resources for neurodivergent families. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Sorrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sorrow/) ## Related quotes > [Women have nine months more experience than you do - nine months to prepare for being a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noel-gallagher/women-have-nine-months-more-experience-than-you-do-nine-months-to/) [Noel Gallagher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noel-gallagher/) > [Spring and Fall: To a Young Child Márgarét, are you gríeving Over Goldengrove unleaving? Leáves, líke the things of man, you With your fresh…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-manley-hopkins/spring-and-fall-to-a-young-child-m-rgar-t-are-you-gr-eving-over/) [Gerard Manley Hopkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-manley-hopkins/) > [The truly beneficent mind looks upon every child of sorrow as their relation, and entitled to their assistance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eliza-parsons/the-truly-beneficent-mind-looks-upon-every-child-of-sorrow-as-their/) [Eliza Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eliza-parsons/) > [Words have power. The things that you say to yourself as a parent - the things that you say maybe even just one time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-graham/words-have-power-the-things-that-you-say-to-yourself-as-a-parent-the/) [Ashley Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-graham/) > [I was not an ideal parent, and there were things that I did right and things I did wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-barnes/i-was-not-an-ideal-parent-and-there-were-things-that-i-did-right-and/) [Jimmy Barnes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-barnes/) > [A natural parent has only two things principally to consider, the improvement of his son, and the finances to do it with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-washington/a-natural-parent-has-only-two-things-principally-to-consider-the/) [George Washington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-washington/) > [I'm a really good parent to myself sometimes, and I do things that make me learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fiona-apple/i-m-a-really-good-parent-to-myself-sometimes-and-i-do-things-that/) [Fiona Apple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fiona-apple/) > [There's something really magical about having a child - it's like permission to begin again, start over, reevaluate some things, check yourself. Recognize yourself.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-scott/there-s-something-really-magical-about-having-a-child-it-s-like/) [Jill Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-scott/) > [Having a child made him a daddy, taking care of that child will make him a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-perry/having-a-child-made-him-a-daddy-taking-care-of-that-child-will-make/) [Tyler Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-perry/) > [I feel things more deeply... anything to do with kids. It just makes a big difference in my life... Having a child is like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/i-feel-things-more-deeply-anything-to-do-with-kids-it-just-makes-a/) [Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/) > [I was an unhappy child, and that puts me off having a child of my own.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/i-was-an-unhappy-child-and-that-puts-me-off-having-a-child-of-my-own/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [I have a friend who does everything, travels all over the world, goes everywhere, and he says that no matter where in the world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nia-peeples/i-have-a-friend-who-does-everything-travels-all-over-the-world-goes/) [Nia Peeples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nia-peeples/) > [The idea that because you're born in Haiti you could die having a child. The idea that because you're born in you know Malawi…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-farmer/the-idea-that-because-you-re-born-in-haiti-you-could-die-having-a/) [Paul Farmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-farmer/) > [I don't hate children. My wife and I just didn't think we would be good parents, and also by the time we got married…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-ford/i-don-t-hate-children-my-wife-and-i-just-didn-t-think-we-would-be/) [Richard Ford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-ford/) > [“Having a child is to show an absolute accord with mankind. If I have a child, it's as though I'm saying: I was born…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milan-kundera/having-a-child-is-to-show-an-absolute-accord-with-mankind-if-i-have-a/) [Milan Kundera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milan-kundera/) ## More by Maryanne Wolf > [There's a richness that reading gives you, an opportunity to probe more than any other medium I know of. Reading is about not being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/there-s-a-richness-that-reading-gives-you-an-opportunity-to-probe/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [The act of learning to read added an entirely new circuit to our hominid brain's repertoire. The long developmental process of learning to read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-act-of-learning-to-read-added-an-entirely-new-circuit-to-our/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [Skimming has led, I believe, to a tendency to go to the sources that seem the simplest, most reduced, most familiar, and least cognitively…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/skimming-has-led-i-believe-to-a-tendency-to-go-to-the-sources-that/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [The brain is constantly adapting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-brain-is-constantly-adapting/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [We humans invented literacy, which means it doesn't come for free with our genes like speech and vision. Every brain has to learn it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/we-humans-invented-literacy-which-means-it-doesn-t-come-for-free-with/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [The same plasticity that allows us to form a reading circuit to begin with, and short-circuit the development of deep reading if we allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-same-plasticity-that-allows-us-to-form-a-reading-circuit-to-begin/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [If you word-spot James Joyce, you'll miss the entire experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/if-you-word-spot-james-joyce-you-ll-miss-the-entire-experience/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [“There are few more powerful mirrors of the human brain's astonishing ability to rearrange itself to learn a new intellectual function than the act…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/there-are-few-more-powerful-mirrors-of-the-human-brain-s-astonishing/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [We have to move into the 21st century, but we should do so with great care to build a 'bi-literate' brain that has the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/we-have-to-move-into-the-21st-century-but-we-should-do-so-with-great/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [The brain is plastic its whole life span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/the-brain-is-plastic-its-whole-life-span/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [I am an apologist for the reading brain. It represents a miracle that springs from the brain's unique capacity to rearrange itself to learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/i-am-an-apologist-for-the-reading-brain-it-represents-a-miracle-that/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [We human beings were never born to read; we invented reading and then had to teach it to every new generation. Each new reader…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/we-human-beings-were-never-born-to-read-we-invented-reading-and-then/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [When we have any function, whether it's language or vision or cognitive functions like memory, we aren't dealing with a straight line to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/when-we-have-any-function-whether-it-s-language-or-vision-or/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [Every opportunity to practice is a gift to the developing reader. Practice, practice, practice, in every form and medium!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/every-opportunity-to-practice-is-a-gift-to-the-developing-reader/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) > [Each young reader has to fashion an entirely new 'reading circuit' afresh every time. There is no one neat circuit just waiting to unfold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/each-young-reader-has-to-fashion-an-entirely-new-reading-circuit/) [Maryanne Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) [Explore all 63 Maryanne Wolf quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/) ## More Child quotes > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? 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": "No one can ever prepare a parent for two things: the immeasurable love that comes with having a child; and the sorrow and confusion that comes when your child appears to learn in a different way from other children.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Maryanne Wolf" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two-things-the-immeasurable-love/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Child" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two-things-the-immeasurable-love/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/maryanne-wolf-10802_children_no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two_1530415.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/maryanne-wolf-10802_children_no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two_1530415.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/414/maryanne-wolf-10802_children_no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two_1530415.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“No one can ever prepare a parent for two things: the immeasurable love that comes with having a child; and…” — Maryanne Wolf", "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": "Maryanne Wolf", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maryanne-wolf/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "No one can ever prepare a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two-things-the-immeasurable-love/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maryanne-wolf/no-one-can-ever-prepare-a-parent-for-two-things-the-immeasurable-love/#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 } } ] } ```