--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'm not a parenting expert by any means…" description: "\"I'm not a parenting expert by any means, but I've been interviewing and writing about kids for almost 20 years.\" — Nancy Jo Sales" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/nancy-jo-sales-28781_about_i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means_1306766.jpg" --- # I'm not a parenting expert by any means, but I've been… ![“I'm not a parenting expert by any means, but I've been interviewing and writing about kids for almost 20 years.” quote by Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/nancy-jo-sales-28781_about_i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means_1306766.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/nancy-jo-sales-28781_about_i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means_1306766.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/nancy-jo-sales-28781_about_i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means_1306766.jpg) > “I'm not a parenting expert by any means, but I've been interviewing and writing about kids for almost 20 years.” [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The author admits limited expertise but emphasizes extensive experience interviewing and writing about children over two decades. **In simple terms:** She’s not an expert but has 20 years of experience with kids. Key Takeaway Experience can be valuable even without formal credentials. Themes experience journalism parenting credibility Mood reflective informative Type journalistic personal When to use this quote - parenting advice - media coverage - policy discussions Key Concepts storytelling media influence Questions to Reflect On - What weight should we give to experience vs. formal training? - How does long‑term exposure shape insight? A Different Perspective Experience may not equal expertise in all contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [20 Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/20-years/) [About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Almost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/almost/) [Any](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/any/) [Been](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/been/) [Expert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expert/) [Interviewing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interviewing/) [Interviewing Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/interviewing-writing-4310003/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Kids 20](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids-20-3302384/) [Means](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parenting Expert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting-expert-2161052/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) [Writing Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing-kids-289383/) [Years](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/years/) ## Related quotes > [I'm not a parenting expert. In fact, I'm not sure that I even believe in the idea of 'parenting experts.' I'm an engaged, imperfect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-in-fact-i-m-not-sure-that-i-even-believe/) [Brene Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I still have the art projects my kids made for me 20 years ago. I cherish them, crude and silly as some of them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilio-estevez/i-still-have-the-art-projects-my-kids-made-for-me-20-years-ago-i/) [Emilio Estevez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilio-estevez/) > [Twenty or 30 years ago, certainly when my mother was my age, I'm sure she felt things were pretty over for her. You had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dervla-kirwan/twenty-or-30-years-ago-certainly-when-my-mother-was-my-age-i-m-sure/) [Dervla Kirwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dervla-kirwan/) > [So we were doing this scene, and the kids get 20 minutes a day, um, so, all I had to do was pick him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-burton/so-we-were-doing-this-scene-and-the-kids-get-20-minutes-a-day-um-so/) [Steve Burton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-burton/) > [If you donate to a charity and save a few kids, 20 years down the line, there will be more people who exist because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/if-you-donate-to-a-charity-and-save-a-few-kids-20-years-down-the-line/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [I was writing and I have three kids. I was occupying my time with them but it was difficult.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-moyet/i-was-writing-and-i-have-three-kids-i-was-occupying-my-time-with-them/) [Alison Moyet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-moyet/) > [I loved writing for kids, I loved talking to children about what I'd written, I don't want to leave that behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-loved-writing-for-kids-i-loved-talking-to-children-about-what-i-d/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I began writing for kids because I wanted to effect a change in American society. I continue in that spirit. By the time we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-adoff/i-began-writing-for-kids-because-i-wanted-to-effect-a-change-in/) [Arnold Adoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-adoff/) > [The one thing about kids is that you never really know exactly what they're thinking or how they're seeing. After writing about kids, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-one-thing-about-kids-is-that-you-never-really-know-exactly-what/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [I don't see one as bring better or more literate than the other and there's a real buzz to not only writing about a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-millar/i-don-t-see-one-as-bring-better-or-more-literate-than-the-other-and/) [Mark Millar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-millar/) > [I enjoy writing for both kids and adults, though I think I'm better at children's stories because I was a teacher for so long,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/i-enjoy-writing-for-both-kids-and-adults-though-i-think-i-m-better-at/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) > [To me, this is one of the great things about writing kids' books: the illustrations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-dicamillo/to-me-this-is-one-of-the-great-things-about-writing-kids-books-the/) [Kate DiCamillo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-dicamillo/) > [I made the choice not to have children, so I can spend my days just writing; there are no kids demanding my time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seanan-mcguire/i-made-the-choice-not-to-have-children-so-i-can-spend-my-days-just/) [Seanan McGuire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seanan-mcguire/) > [Dramatic reading and writing for kids can open a window to individuality and to expression that nothing else does, because all of a sudden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-walton-hamilton/dramatic-reading-and-writing-for-kids-can-open-a-window-to/) [Emma Walton Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-walton-hamilton/) > [Kids, if anything, are harder to write for because they are a more discerning audience. They will not stay with you if you go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-riordan/kids-if-anything-are-harder-to-write-for-because-they-are-a-more/) [Rick Riordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-riordan/) ## More by Nancy Jo Sales > [“The Mob loved Sinatra not just because he was Italian-American, but because he had crossed over into a nether world in which they could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/the-mob-loved-sinatra-not-just-because-he-was-italian-american-but/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [We're so very focused on ourselves and on self-promotion. It goes on all day with Facebook and Twitter and Instagram.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/we-re-so-very-focused-on-ourselves-and-on-self-promotion-it-goes-on/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [Putting on someone else's clothes is like putting on a mask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/putting-on-someone-else-s-clothes-is-like-putting-on-a-mask/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [Celebrities are not necessarily the richest people of all, but on the face of it, they seem to be representative of the very richest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/celebrities-are-not-necessarily-the-richest-people-of-all-but-on-the/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [“Now it was as if everybody had become their own fan. Everybody was their own paparazzi.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/now-it-was-as-if-everybody-had-become-their-own-fan-everybody-was/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [We don't really even know how the Internet and technology are changing us, or our brains and our attention span.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/we-don-t-really-even-know-how-the-internet-and-technology-are/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [I love to interview outrageous people who speak their minds; also, people who have some kind of mystery attached to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/i-love-to-interview-outrageous-people-who-speak-their-minds-also/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [“Once upon a time, the American girl was a shining symbol of something fresh, spirited, and fully self-confident. Mark Twain said, “The average American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/once-upon-a-time-the-american-girl-was-a-shining-symbol-of-something/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [“Prugo gazes at his image onscreen, cocking his head this was and that, making "sexy" faces, checking himself out. Inspired, he gets up and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/prugo-gazes-at-his-image-onscreen-cocking-his-head-this-was-and-that/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [“To se someone really getting to know who they are is a beautiful, beautiful, thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/to-se-someone-really-getting-to-know-who-they-are-is-a-beautiful/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [“the real stars—the ones who made it all the way up to that peak where they’ve been granted by adoring fans an almost godlike…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/the-real-stars-the-ones-who-made-it-all-the-way-up-to-that-peak-where/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [I think we really have to ask ourselves, are we really using to children to promote ourselves?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/i-think-we-really-have-to-ask-ourselves-are-we-really-using-to/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [I'm concerned and alarmed about the images of girls and women that are broadcast every single minute.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/i-m-concerned-and-alarmed-about-the-images-of-girls-and-women-that/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [Social media is not the same in 2013 as it was in 2003 - or even 2008 or 2011. You didn't carry around AOL…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/social-media-is-not-the-same-in-2013-as-it-was-in-2003-or-even-2008/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) > [That's why teenagers fascinate me - they're like children with drivers' licenses. Like children in that their impulses are so direct.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/that-s-why-teenagers-fascinate-me-they-re-like-children-with-drivers/) [Nancy Jo Sales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) [Explore all 17 Nancy Jo Sales quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/) ## More About quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/) [Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/) > [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/) [Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/) > [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/) [Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/) > [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/) [Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/) > [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/) [Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/) > [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/) [Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/) > [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/) [Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/) > [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/) [Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/) > [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/) [Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/) > [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/) [Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/) > [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/) [Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/) > [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/) [Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/) > [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/) [John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/) > [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/) [Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/) [Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I'm not a parenting expert by any means, but I've been interviewing and writing about kids for almost 20 years.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Nancy Jo Sales" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means-but-i-ve-been-interviewing/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "About" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means-but-i-ve-been-interviewing/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/nancy-jo-sales-28781_about_i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means_1306766.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/nancy-jo-sales-28781_about_i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means_1306766.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fa/nancy-jo-sales-28781_about_i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means_1306766.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I'm not a parenting expert by any means, but I've been interviewing and writing about kids for almost 20…” — Nancy Jo Sales", "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": "Nancy Jo Sales", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-jo-sales/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I'm not a parenting expert by...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means-but-i-ve-been-interviewing/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-jo-sales/i-m-not-a-parenting-expert-by-any-means-but-i-ve-been-interviewing/#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 } } ] } ```