--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: All parents damage their children. It…" description: "\"“All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped.Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers.”\" — Mitch Albom" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/mitch-albom-187_children_all-parents-damage-their-children-it-can_2315402.png" --- # All parents damage their children. It cannot be… ![“All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped.Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers.” quote by Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/mitch-albom-187_children_all-parents-damage-their-children-it-can_2315402.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/mitch-albom-187_children_all-parents-damage-their-children-it-can_2315402.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/324/mitch-albom-187_children_all-parents-damage-their-children-it-can_2315402.png) > ““All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped.Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers.”” [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## 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 the influences of those around them; parents inevitably leave marks, intentional or not. **In simple terms:** Parents shape children. Key Takeaway Be mindful of your influence. Themes parenting impact development Mood reflective concerned Type advice psychological When to use this quote - family upbringing - education - mentoring Key Concepts psychology social learning responsibility Questions to Reflect On - How do you model positive behavior? - What steps can you take to mitigate harmful impacts? A Different Perspective Children also possess agency and can resist negative influences. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Youth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/youth/) ## Related quotes > [“All parents damage their children. This was their life together. Neglect. Violence. Silence.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/all-parents-damage-their-children-this-was-their-life-together/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorb the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/parents-damage-their-children-it-cannot-be-helped-youth-like-pristine/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/all-parents-damage-their-children-it-cannot-be-helped/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“All parents damage their children. IT cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/all-parents-damage-their-children-it-cannot-be-helped-youth-like/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I made the decision to play for Germany because this country gave me something and helped me during my youth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shkodran-mustafi/i-made-the-decision-to-play-for-germany-because-this-country-gave-me/) [Shkodran Mustafi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shkodran-mustafi/) > [Why didn't children ever see that they could damage and harm their parents as much as parents could damage and harm children?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-z-hobson/why-didn-t-children-ever-see-that-they-could-damage-and-harm-their/) [Laura Z. Hobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-z-hobson/) > [Children don't just play any more - they're far too busy learning to fence and taking extra French classes. In the end, you're actually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-henderson/children-don-t-just-play-any-more-they-re-far-too-busy-learning-to/) [Shirley Henderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-henderson/) > [“And we all know, too, that those words really don’t damage children much. They didn’t damage us when we were young. It was evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-we-all-know-too-that-those-words-really-don-t-damage-children/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I don't want to stick a sticking plaster on it, I don't want to fix children once the system's broken them, I want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angela-rayner/i-don-t-want-to-stick-a-sticking-plaster-on-it-i-don-t-want-to-fix/) [Angela Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/angela-rayner/) > [“Sometimes your kids will say the nastiest things, won't they, Rose? You want to ask,'Whose child is this?'" Rose chuckled. "But usually, they're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sometimes-your-kids-will-say-the-nastiest-things-won-t-they-rose-you/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Teenagers' relationships with their parents often aren't really explored in much depth, but at that age, it's your primary relationship; they're the people you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-heizer/teenagers-relationships-with-their-parents-often-aren-t-really/) [Miles Heizer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-heizer/) > [Young people all over the world are very frustrated. They are very disillusioned. Many of them are turning their backs on religion. They are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/young-people-all-over-the-world-are-very-frustrated-they-are-very/) [Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/) > [Wise childre will want to please their parents.Although they must understand them,any teenagers knows,parents tough to figure out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariane-corbito/wise-childre-will-want-to-please-their-parents-although-they-must/) [Mariane Corbito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariane-corbito/) > [Listening and paying attention to your parents is a simple thing you can do ,but can save you from drowning in life's struggles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wordfaith3/listening-and-paying-attention-to-your-parents-is-a-simple-thing-you/) Wordfaith3 > [Having children truly ends adolescence. We are all either parents or children: responsibility-takers or those who demand from others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/having-children-truly-ends-adolescence-we-are-all-either-parents-or/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) ## More by Mitch Albom > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“After the funeral, my life changed. I felt as if time were suddenly precious, water going down an open drain, and I could not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/after-the-funeral-my-life-changed-i-felt-as-if-time-were-suddenly/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [the words people do not speak are louder than the ones they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/the-words-people-do-not-speak-are-louder-than-the-ones-they-do/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Once, lovers on faraway shores sat by candlelight and dipped ink to parchment, writing words that could not be erased. They took an evening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/once-lovers-on-faraway-shores-sat-by-candlelight-and-dipped-ink-to/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Giving to other people makes me feel alive. Not my car or my house. Not what I look like in the mirror. When I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/giving-to-other-people-makes-me-feel-alive-not-my-car-or-my-house-not/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [Life goes quickly, doesn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/life-goes-quickly-doesn-t-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [As children grow, they gravitate to their fates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/as-children-grow-they-gravitate-to-their-fates/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“If the only thing wrong with Moses is that he's not yours; if the only thing wrong with Jesus is that he's not yours;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/if-the-only-thing-wrong-with-moses-is-that-he-s-not-yours-if-the-only/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“Sometimes your kids will say the nastiest things, won't they, Rose? You want to ask,'Whose child is this?'" Rose chuckled. "But usually, they're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sometimes-your-kids-will-say-the-nastiest-things-won-t-they-rose-you/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“whisper their good-byes.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/whisper-their-good-byes/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“I had also developed my own culture. Work. Over the years, I had taken labor as my companion and had moved everything else to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-had-also-developed-my-own-culture-work-over-the-years-i-had-taken/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [When we are most alone is when we embrace another's loneliness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/when-we-are-most-alone-is-when-we-embrace-another-s-loneliness/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [“You didn’t get it. Sacrifice is a part of life. It’s supposed to be. It’s not something to regret. It’s something to aspire to.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/you-didn-t-get-it-sacrifice-is-a-part-of-life-it-s-supposed-to-be-it/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on the good things still in my life. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/i-give-myself-a-good-cry-if-i-need-it-but-then-i-concentrate-on-the/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [It was sad, the imbalance of it all. Why do kids assume so much from one parent and hold the other to a lower,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/it-was-sad-the-imbalance-of-it-all-why-do-kids-assume-so-much-from/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) [Explore all 962 Mitch Albom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. 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