---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: . . .from their earliest years children…"
description: "\". . .from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/maurice-sendak-1273_achieve_from-their-earliest-years-children-live_3031613.jpg"
---

#  . . .from their earliest years children live on familiar…

![“. . .from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they…” quote by Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/maurice-sendak-1273_achieve_from-their-earliest-years-children-live_3031613.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/maurice-sendak-1273_achieve_from-their-earliest-years-children-live_3031613.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/maurice-sendak-1273_achieve_from-their-earliest-years-children-live_3031613.jpg)

> “. . .from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things.”

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

## About This Quote

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

Children confront fear and anxiety daily, using fantasy for catharsis and emotional regulation.

**In simple terms:** Kids use fantasy to cope with fear.

Key Takeaway

Encourage creative outlets for emotional health.

Themes

childhood fear fantasy

Mood

gentle reflective

Type

parenting psychology

When to use this quote

- parenting
- education
- therapy
- creative writing

Key Concepts

psychology literature development

Questions to Reflect On

- How does imagination help you process emotions?
- What other tools aid emotional regulation?

A Different Perspective

Fantasy may not replace real coping skills.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/anxiety/) [Catharsis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/catharsis/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Emotion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotion/) [Everyday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday/) [Everyday life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/everyday-life/) [Fantasy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fantasy/) [Fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear/) [Fear And Anxiety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fear-and-anxiety/) [Frustration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustration/) [Taming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taming/) [Wild things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wild-things/)

## Related quotes

> [“Certainly we want to protect our children from new and painful experiences that are beyond their emotional comprehension and that intensify anxiety; and to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/certainly-we-want-to-protect-our-children-from-new-and-painful/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming wild things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/and-it-is-through-fantasy-that-children-achieve-catharsis-it-is-the/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [A lot of the characters I've played before are heroic or invincible in some ways and not tuned into fear and anxiety and pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-statham/a-lot-of-the-characters-i-ve-played-before-are-heroic-or-invincible/)

[Jason Statham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-statham/)

> [“The odd thing is that fear and anxiety are running away from something, but they don’t know what to run to. They know danger,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-t-welch/the-odd-thing-is-that-fear-and-anxiety-are-running-away-from/)

[Edward T. Welch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-t-welch/)

> [I'm just suggesting that when you're faced with fear and anxiety, don't medicate. Meditate instead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/i-m-just-suggesting-that-when-you-re-faced-with-fear-and-anxiety-don/)

[Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/)

> [Problem is that my athletic abilities in my mind are greater than what my body can accomplish. And my level of fear and anxiety…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-m-johnson/problem-is-that-my-athletic-abilities-in-my-mind-are-greater-than/)

[Jake M. Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-m-johnson/)

> [When we go through being rejected and abandoned like I did as a kid, you have a lot of fear and anxiety issues that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirk-franklin/when-we-go-through-being-rejected-and-abandoned-like-i-did-as-a-kid/)

[Kirk Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirk-franklin/)

> [A failed personal experience is just fear and anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bethenny-frankel/a-failed-personal-experience-is-just-fear-and-anxiety/)

[Bethenny Frankel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bethenny-frankel/)

> [It is important to ask ourselves, as citizens, whether a world power can provide global leadership on the basis of fear and anxiety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/it-is-important-to-ask-ourselves-as-citizens-whether-a-world-power/)

[Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/)

> [The wind of divine grace is always blowing. You just need to spread your sail. Whenever you do anything, do it with your whole…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/the-wind-of-divine-grace-is-always-blowing-you-just-need-to-spread/)

[Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/)

> ['Amusement' is appealing because we don't have to think; it spares us the fear and anxiety that might otherwise prey on our thoughts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ortberg/amusement-is-appealing-because-we-don-t-have-to-think-it-spares-us/)

[John Ortberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ortberg/)

> [“Yeah. I'm sorry I can never talk about it. Fear...and anxiety...all that stuff...it's hard to talk about.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuki-midorikawa/yeah-i-m-sorry-i-can-never-talk-about-it-fear-and-anxiety-all-that/)

[Yuki Midorikawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuki-midorikawa/)

> [Doesn't our knowledge of death make life more precious?' What good is a preciousness based on fear and anxiety? It's an anxious quivering thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-delillo/doesn-t-our-knowledge-of-death-make-life-more-precious-what-good-is-a/)

[Don DeLillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-delillo/)

> [Fear and anxiety are great motivators for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-nicholls/fear-and-anxiety-are-great-motivators-for-me/)

[David Nicholls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-nicholls/)

> [“Fear and anxiety and sadness are not necessarily always undesirable or unhelpful states of mind; rather, they are often representatives of the necessary pain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-manson/fear-and-anxiety-and-sadness-are-not-necessarily-always-undesirable/)

[Mark Manson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-manson/)

## More by Maurice Sendak

> [I never thought of Bumble-Ardy in that way. But I still have that same deep feeling for children who are in dire trouble. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-never-thought-of-bumble-ardy-in-that-way-but-i-still-have-that-same/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [I was a very sickly child. My parents were immigrants. They were not decorous. They were not discreet. They always thought I was gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-was-a-very-sickly-child-my-parents-were-immigrants-they-were-not/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [The distinctions of fine art bore me to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/the-distinctions-of-fine-art-bore-me-to-death/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [The fan mail I get from kids are asking me questions which they do not ask their mothers and fathers. Because if they had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/the-fan-mail-i-get-from-kids-are-asking-me-questions-which-they-do/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [“May I ask what you have in your black leather bag with gold buckles?" "Everything." They were climbing a narrow staircase. Rhoda stopped to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/may-i-ask-what-you-have-in-your-black-leather-bag-with-gold-buckles/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [I grew up in a house that was in a constant state of mourning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-grew-up-in-a-house-that-was-in-a-constant-state-of-mourning/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [Illustrations have as much to say as the text. The trick is to say the same thing, but in a different way. It's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/illustrations-have-as-much-to-say-as-the-text-the-trick-is-to-say-the/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [I'm a lucky buck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-m-a-lucky-buck/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [I've convinced myself - I hope I'm right - that children despair of you if you don't tell them the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-ve-convinced-myself-i-hope-i-m-right-that-children-despair-of-you/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [It's no fun being lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/it-s-no-fun-being-lonely/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [It dawned on me that art was the way I could survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/it-dawned-on-me-that-art-was-the-way-i-could-survive/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [I cry a lot because I miss people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-cry-a-lot-because-i-miss-people/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [You cannot write for children They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/you-cannot-write-for-children-they-re-much-too-complicated-you-can/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [All I liked to do when I was a kid was draw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/all-i-liked-to-do-when-i-was-a-kid-was-draw/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

> [I'm still as enamored and turned on by work as I was when I was young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-m-still-as-enamored-and-turned-on-by-work-as-i-was-when-i-was-young/)

[Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

[Explore all 262 Maurice Sendak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/)

## More Achieve quotes

> [I always say there are two things to be successful. The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/)

[Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/)

> [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/)

[Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/)

> [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/)

[Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/)

> [Human beings have an innate inner drive to be autonomous, self-determined, and connected to one another. And when that drive is liberated, people achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-h-pink/human-beings-have-an-innate-inner-drive-to-be-autonomous-self/)

[Daniel H. Pink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-h-pink/)

> [Focus on becoming more to achieve more while doing less](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hal-elrod/focus-on-becoming-more-to-achieve-more-while-doing-less/)

[Hal Elrod](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hal-elrod/)

> [I hope that the Palestinians don't make the mistake of unleashing a new intifada. They've tried it twice before, and the consequences were bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-segev/i-hope-that-the-palestinians-don-t-make-the-mistake-of-unleashing-a/)

[Tom Segev](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-segev/)

> [I'm a film guy. I love it. When I read the screenplay, I knew that there would be no HD camera that could achieve…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deon-taylor/i-m-a-film-guy-i-love-it-when-i-read-the-screenplay-i-knew-that-there/)

Deon Taylor

> [One achieves true human dignity only when one serves. Only he is great who subjects himself to taking part in the achievement of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-antonio-primo-de-rivera/one-achieves-true-human-dignity-only-when-one-serves-only-he-is-great/)

Jose Antonio Primo de Rivera

> [I'm optimistic Hong Kong will achieve universal suffrage - no matter the attitude of Beijing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-wong/i-m-optimistic-hong-kong-will-achieve-universal-suffrage-no-matter/)

[Joshua Wong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-wong/)

> [Each man is capable of doing one thing well. If he attempts several, he will fail to achieve distinction in any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/plato/each-man-is-capable-of-doing-one-thing-well-if-he-attempts-several-he/)

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

> [Governments follow their people. A great deal has to do with the vision of the leadership of governments. They have a vision, and they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-khurshid/governments-follow-their-people-a-great-deal-has-to-do-with-the/)

[Salman Khurshid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-khurshid/)

> [To achieve victory we must mass our forces at the hub of all power &amp; movement. The enemy's 'Center of Gravity'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/to-achieve-victory-we-must-mass-our-forces-at-the-hub-of-all-power/)

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

> [If your only goal is to become rich, you will never achieve it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-d-rockefeller/if-your-only-goal-is-to-become-rich-you-will-never-achieve-it/)

[John D. Rockefeller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-d-rockefeller/)

> [To achieve something you've never achieved before, you must become someone you've never been before.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shubham-joshi/to-achieve-something-you-ve-never-achieved-before-you-must-become/)

[Shubham Joshi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shubham-joshi/)

> [I've identified as bisexual since I was a teenager, and if we want to achieve equality for all in our policies, we need more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katie-hill/i-ve-identified-as-bisexual-since-i-was-a-teenager-and-if-we-want-to/)

[Katie Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katie-hill/)

Browse all 6,390 Achieve quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": ". . .from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety are an intrinsic part of their everyday lives, they continually cope with frustrations as best they can. And it is through fantasy that children achieve catharsis. It is the best means they have for taming Wild Things.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Maurice Sendak"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/from-their-earliest-years-children-live-on-familiar-terms-with/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/from-their-earliest-years-children-live-on-familiar-terms-with/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/maurice-sendak-1273_achieve_from-their-earliest-years-children-live_3031613.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/maurice-sendak-1273_achieve_from-their-earliest-years-children-live_3031613.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c9a/maurice-sendak-1273_achieve_from-their-earliest-years-children-live_3031613.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“. . .from their earliest years children live on familiar terms with disrupting emotions, fear and anxiety…” — Maurice Sendak",
                "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": "Maurice Sendak",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": ". . .from their earliest years...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/from-their-earliest-years-children-live-on-familiar-terms-with/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/from-their-earliest-years-children-live-on-familiar-terms-with/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
