--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Parenting isn’t about creating someone in…" description: "\"“Parenting isn’t about creating someone in your own image; it’s about giving them the clay to shape themselves as they see fit, and celebrating whateve..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/mikki-brammer-74471_acceptance_parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-i_1686524.jpg" --- # Parenting isn’t about creating someone in your own image… ![“Parenting isn’t about creating someone in your own image; it’s about giving them the clay to shape themselves as they see fit, and celebrating whatever form they end up taking.” quote by Mikki Brammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/mikki-brammer-74471_acceptance_parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-i_1686524.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/mikki-brammer-74471_acceptance_parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-i_1686524.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/mikki-brammer-74471_acceptance_parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-i_1686524.jpg) > ““Parenting isn’t about creating someone in your own image; it’s about giving them the clay to shape themselves as they see fit, and celebrating whatever form they end up taking.”” [Mikki Brammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikki-brammer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parenting is about providing freedom for children to become their own selves, not molding them after parents. **In simple terms:** Give kids freedom to shape themselves. Key Takeaway Support autonomy and celebrate individuality. Themes parenting individuality freedom Mood reflective hopeful Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - raising children - education - family dynamics Key Concepts identity formation self-determination Questions to Reflect On - How do you encourage self‑expression while offering guidance? - What fears arise when letting go of control? A Different Perspective Parents may struggle to balance guidance with autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Celebrating Form](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celebrating-form-1010627/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Fit Celebrating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fit-celebrating-1010629/) [Giving Clay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving-clay-1010628/) [Identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/identity/) [Individuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/individuality/) [Nurturing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nurturing/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parenting Isn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting-isn-1010626/) [Personal growth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personal-growth/) [Self discovery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-discovery/) [Unconditional love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unconditional-love/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [Many people think that discipline is the essence of parenting. But that isn't parenting. Parenting is not telling your child what to do when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-neufeld/many-people-think-that-discipline-is-the-essence-of-parenting-but/) [Gordon Neufeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-neufeld/) > [Remember that the problem with hyper-parenting isn't that it's bad for children; it's that it's bad for parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pamela-druckerman/remember-that-the-problem-with-hyper-parenting-isn-t-that-it-s-bad/) [Pamela Druckerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pamela-druckerman/) > [Parenting isn't just parenting your own child.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-black/parenting-isn-t-just-parenting-your-own-child/) [Lewis Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-black/) > [Single parenting isn't easy, but it's a choice I made and as with everything else in my life it's been a 'give it your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pooja-bedi/single-parenting-isn-t-easy-but-it-s-a-choice-i-made-and-as-with/) [Pooja Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pooja-bedi/) > [Very often when you see families it's all perfect and neat, and parenting isn't like that. You do have constant negotiations. Things are ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clive-owen/very-often-when-you-see-families-it-s-all-perfect-and-neat-and/) [Clive Owen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clive-owen/) > [parenting isn't a noun but a verb--an ongoing process instead of an accomplishment. And that no matter how many years you put into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/parenting-isn-t-a-noun-but-a-verb-an-ongoing-process-instead-of-an/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Parenting isn't how I imagined it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fearne-cotton/parenting-isn-t-how-i-imagined-it/) [Fearne Cotton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fearne-cotton/) > [What assurance do I have that your parenting isn't screwing me up?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-watterson/what-assurance-do-i-have-that-your-parenting-isn-t-screwing-me-up/) [Bill Watterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-watterson/) > [I've grown up watching and admiring Norm. Sherie actually starred in the first off-Broadway show I ever saw in New York, which was The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/i-ve-grown-up-watching-and-admiring-norm-sherie-actually-starred-in/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [“Leadership is a nurturing of those under your command.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-goodkind/leadership-is-a-nurturing-of-those-under-your-command/) [Terry Goodkind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-goodkind/) > [“she began to understand that life is like a fire: comforting, warming, nurturing, and ready to burn the instant you let your attention drift.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/k-r-griffiths/she-began-to-understand-that-life-is-like-a-fire-comforting-warming/) [K.R. Griffiths](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/k-r-griffiths/) > [“That's where the importance of nurturing comes in; the already sculpted personality is not recast, but refined. Loving, caring families can sand and polish,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lorna-landvik/that-s-where-the-importance-of-nurturing-comes-in-the-already/) [Lorna Landvik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lorna-landvik/) > [“By nurturing other people's gifts you nurture your own.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/by-nurturing-other-people-s-gifts-you-nurture-your-own/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [I think it's something to do with the nurturing side of the psyche; tying up a sunflower or whatever and helping it grow, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-lycett/i-think-it-s-something-to-do-with-the-nurturing-side-of-the-psyche/) [Joe Lycett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-lycett/) > [The line between being a nurturing parent and an over-bearing, damaging parent is one that's very delicate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-wright/the-line-between-being-a-nurturing-parent-and-an-over-bearing/) [Jeffrey Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-wright/) ## More by Mikki Brammer > [“What a sad existence that must be—so focused on the next thing you’re doing, the next place you’re going, that you forget to appreciate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikki-brammer/what-a-sad-existence-that-must-be-so-focused-on-the-next-thing-you-re/) [Mikki Brammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikki-brammer/) > [“The world moves faster than it used to, and I wonder how people have any time to admire the smaller joys of life.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikki-brammer/the-world-moves-faster-than-it-used-to-and-i-wonder-how-people-have/) [Mikki Brammer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikki-brammer/) [Explore all 3 Mikki Brammer quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikki-brammer/) ## More Acceptance quotes > [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [You dont choose your life; it chooses you. Theres no point asking why life has reserved certain joys or griefs, you just accept them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/you-dont-choose-your-life-it-chooses-you-theres-no-point-asking-why/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [Losing someone is easy, but accepting it is hard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/losing-someone-is-easy-but-accepting-it-is-hard/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When one fib becomes due as it were, you must forge another to take up the old acceptance; and so the stock of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-makepeace-thackeray/when-one-fib-becomes-due-as-it-were-you-must-forge-another-to-take-up/) [William Makepeace Thackeray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-makepeace-thackeray/) > [Acceptance of death when it arrives is one thing, but to allow it to upstage the joys of living is ingratitude.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-blythe/acceptance-of-death-when-it-arrives-is-one-thing-but-to-allow-it-to/) [Ronald Blythe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-blythe/) > [“Loving someone who does not love you back hurts, alot, i know. It is liking seeing these pair of shoes at the retail store…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nomthandazo-tsembeni/loving-someone-who-does-not-love-you-back-hurts-alot-i-know-it-is/) [Nomthandazo Tsembeni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nomthandazo-tsembeni/) > [Take responsibily for your past, the bad memories of poor decisions you took were your choices once, and you liked them for the moment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aruho-marvin/take-responsibily-for-your-past-the-bad-memories-of-poor-decisions/) [Aruho Marvin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aruho-marvin/) > [Let us learn to accept and appreciate things now, and we'll find more happiness in every moment we live. Happiness comes when we stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/let-us-learn-to-accept-and-appreciate-things-now-and-we-ll-find-more/) [Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/) > [“Love first; ask questions later.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-courtney/love-first-ask-questions-later/) [Jeremy Courtney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-courtney/) > [“There was beauty in chaos, she'd just never known it before.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-linsmeier/there-was-beauty-in-chaos-she-d-just-never-known-it-before/) [Amanda Linsmeier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-linsmeier/) > [Accepting the challenges in life makes it interesting and overcoming them makes it eloquent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/accepting-the-challenges-in-life-makes-it-interesting-and-overcoming/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Acceptance is the only thing you should teach. Be it Christian, Muslim, Hindu, Dalit, you must inculcate acceptance, not tolerance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kamal-haasan/acceptance-is-the-only-thing-you-should-teach-be-it-christian-muslim/) [Kamal Haasan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kamal-haasan/) > [There just seems to be more acceptance now of other kinds of British films, than the picture-postcard ones.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-roth/there-just-seems-to-be-more-acceptance-now-of-other-kinds-of-british/) [Tim Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-roth/) > [You should never hate anyone, even your worst enemies. Everyone has something good about them. You have to find the redeeming quality and love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeannette-walls/you-should-never-hate-anyone-even-your-worst-enemies-everyone-has/) [Jeannette Walls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeannette-walls/) > [The sense that in this universe we are treated as strangers, the longing to be acknowledged, to meet with some response, to bridge some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-sense-that-in-this-universe-we-are-treated-as-strangers-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Browse all 3,960 Acceptance quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Parenting isn’t about creating someone in your own image; it’s about giving them the clay to shape themselves as they see fit, and celebrating whatever form they end up taking.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mikki Brammer" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikki-brammer/parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-in-your-own-image-it-s-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Acceptance" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikki-brammer/parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-in-your-own-image-it-s-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/mikki-brammer-74471_acceptance_parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-i_1686524.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/mikki-brammer-74471_acceptance_parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-i_1686524.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f64/mikki-brammer-74471_acceptance_parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-i_1686524.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Parenting isn’t about creating someone in your own image; it’s about giving them the clay to shape…” — Mikki Brammer", "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": "Mikki Brammer", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mikki-brammer/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Parenting isn’t about creating someone in...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikki-brammer/parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-in-your-own-image-it-s-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mikki-brammer/parenting-isn-t-about-creating-someone-in-your-own-image-it-s-about/#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 } } ] } ```