---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Parents sometimes object to the amount of…"
description: "\"Parents sometimes object to the amount of humor introduced into stories that are designed to teach moral or spiritual lessons. They seem to think that ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/mike-berenstain-52792_achieve_parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-o_427004.jpg"
---

#  Parents sometimes object to the amount of humor introduced…

![“Parents sometimes object to the amount of humor introduced into stories that are designed to teach moral or spiritual lessons. They seem to think that simple grim lecturing of children is the best way to achieve such goals.” quote by Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/mike-berenstain-52792_achieve_parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-o_427004.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/mike-berenstain-52792_achieve_parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-o_427004.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/mike-berenstain-52792_achieve_parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-o_427004.jpg)

> “Parents sometimes object to the amount of humor introduced into stories that are designed to teach moral or spiritual lessons. They seem to think that simple grim lecturing of children is the best way to achieve such goals.”

[Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

## About This Quote

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

Parents often resist humor in moral stories, fearing plain lecturing is more effective, but humor can engage children better.

**In simple terms:** Parents think humor distracts from lessons, yet it can help teach.

Key Takeaway

Use humor to make moral lessons memorable.

Themes

parenting education humor morality storytelling

Mood

concerned hopeful reflective

Type

advisory inspirational

When to use this quote

- classroom teaching
- family bedtime reading
- curriculum design
- workshop facilitation

Key Concepts

child development pedagogy narrative technique cognitive engagement

Questions to Reflect On

- When does humor enhance versus undermine a moral?
- How can humor be balanced with clear teaching?

A Different Perspective

Too much humor may dilute the seriousness of the lesson.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Achieve](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/) [Amount](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/amount/) [Best way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-way/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Goal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/goal/) [Grim](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grim/) [Grim Lecturing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/grim-lecturing-3772458/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Humor Introduced](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor-introduced-3772457/) [Lecturing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lecturing/) [Lecturing Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lecturing-children-245177/) [Lessons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lessons/) [Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moral/) [Objects](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objects/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Seems](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/seems/) [Simple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/simple/) [Sometimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sometimes/) [Spiritual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual/) [Stories](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stories/) [Teach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach/) [Teach Moral](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/teach-moral-1388936/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/)

## Related quotes

> [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/)

[Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/)

> [The conscience...is not infallible. Nor is it a source of revelation about right and wrong. Its role is not to teach you moral and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-conscience-is-not-infallible-nor-is-it-a-source-of-revelation/)

[John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/)

> [But no one can blink at the fact that in this land, and in other lands across the world, there is an epidemic affecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-b-hinckley/but-no-one-can-blink-at-the-fact-that-in-this-land-and-in-other-lands/)

[Gordon B. Hinckley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-b-hinckley/)

> [Fairy tales, which teach a moral lesson, are about ourselves. Myth deals with forces greater than ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-lapine/fairy-tales-which-teach-a-moral-lesson-are-about-ourselves-myth-deals/)

[James Lapine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-lapine/)

> [Romney, Gingrich, Santorum spent their week lecturing America about the morality of birth control. You know, you guys don't need birth control, you are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/romney-gingrich-santorum-spent-their-week-lecturing-america-about-the/)

[Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/)

> [I never want to tell a story where I'm lecturing to the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lulu-wang/i-never-want-to-tell-a-story-where-i-m-lecturing-to-the-audience/)

[Lulu Wang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lulu-wang/)

> [The United States in particular and the West in general should be feeling a little embarrassed about all that lecturing we did to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-krugman/the-united-states-in-particular-and-the-west-in-general-should-be/)

[Paul Krugman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-krugman/)

> [it is impossible for any mind of common honesty not to be revolted by the contradictions in their principles and practice. They inveigh against…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-trollope/it-is-impossible-for-any-mind-of-common-honesty-not-to-be-revolted-by/)

[Frances Trollope](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-trollope/)

> [Our approach to education has remained largely unchanged since the Renaissance: From middle school through college, most teaching is done by an instructor lecturing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-koller/our-approach-to-education-has-remained-largely-unchanged-since-the/)

[Daphne Koller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-koller/)

> [Medicine is learned by the bedside and not in the classroom. Let not your conceptions of disease come from words heard in the lecture…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-osler/medicine-is-learned-by-the-bedside-and-not-in-the-classroom-let-not/)

[William Osler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-osler/)

> [I don't believe in lecturing people. It's much more effective to present reading as a fun, rewarding pastime.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-patterson/i-don-t-believe-in-lecturing-people-it-s-much-more-effective-to/)

[James Patterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-patterson/)

> [Obama wouldn't have been voted president if he weren't black. Somebody asked me over the weekend why does somebody earn a lot of money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/obama-wouldn-t-have-been-voted-president-if-he-weren-t-black-somebody/)

[Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/)

> [One of the things that I discovered in lecturing was that gradually one ceased to hear what one said one heard what the audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/one-of-the-things-that-i-discovered-in-lecturing-was-that-gradually/)

[Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/)

> [Lecturing is that mysterious process by means of which the contents of the note-book of the professor are transferred through the instrument of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-lloyd/lecturing-is-that-mysterious-process-by-means-of-which-the-contents/)

[Harry Lloyd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-lloyd/)

> [Lecturing Brooks was as useful as lecturing a cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maureen-johnson/lecturing-brooks-was-as-useful-as-lecturing-a-cat/)

[Maureen Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maureen-johnson/)

## More by Mike Berenstain

> [I sometimes find that my family's emphasis on stories, characters, and art that appeals directly to children rather than over their heads to adults…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/i-sometimes-find-that-my-family-s-emphasis-on-stories-characters-and/)

[Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

> [My parents and I always put great emphasis on telling stories that appeal to a child's sense of humor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/my-parents-and-i-always-put-great-emphasis-on-telling-stories-that/)

[Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

> [I was influenced by my children's education in Quaker schools in the Philadelphia area. I experienced a spiritual awakening and became a Christian, was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/i-was-influenced-by-my-children-s-education-in-quaker-schools-in-the/)

[Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

> [Families are where children live. Almost everything they experience is in the context of family life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/families-are-where-children-live-almost-everything-they-experience-is/)

[Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

> [My father was from a secular Jewish family and my mother from a nominally Christian (Episcopalian) one. They were not religious as adults. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/my-father-was-from-a-secular-jewish-family-and-my-mother-from-a/)

[Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

> [As a young adult, I began to read widely in history, philosophy, and religion - including the Bible. I began to feel that a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/as-a-young-adult-i-began-to-read-widely-in-history-philosophy-and/)

[Mike Berenstain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

[Explore all 7 Mike Berenstain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/)

## 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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/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 ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/achieve/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Parents sometimes object to the amount of humor introduced into stories that are designed to teach moral or spiritual lessons. They seem to think that simple grim lecturing of children is the best way to achieve such goals.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Mike Berenstain"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-of-humor-introduced-into/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Achieve"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-of-humor-introduced-into/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/mike-berenstain-52792_achieve_parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-o_427004.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/mike-berenstain-52792_achieve_parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-o_427004.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/mike-berenstain-52792_achieve_parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-o_427004.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Parents sometimes object to the amount of humor introduced into stories that are designed to teach moral or…” — Mike Berenstain",
                "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": "Mike Berenstain",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-berenstain/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Parents sometimes object to the amount...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-of-humor-introduced-into/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-berenstain/parents-sometimes-object-to-the-amount-of-humor-introduced-into/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
