--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Be careful, fathers, when you…" description: "\"“Be careful, fathers, when you inordinately desire things to be better for your children than they were for you. Do not, however unintentionally, make ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/neal-a-maxwell-925_children_be-careful-fathers-when-you-inordinately_465772.png" --- # Be careful, fathers, when you inordinately desire things… ![“Be careful, fathers, when you inordinately desire things to be better for your children than they were for you. Do not, however unintentionally, make things worse by removing the requirement for reasonable work as part of their experience, thereby insulating your children from the very things that…” quote by Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/neal-a-maxwell-925_children_be-careful-fathers-when-you-inordinately_465772.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/neal-a-maxwell-925_children_be-careful-fathers-when-you-inordinately_465772.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac3/neal-a-maxwell-925_children_be-careful-fathers-when-you-inordinately_465772.png) > ““Be careful, fathers, when you inordinately desire things to be better for your children than they were for you. Do not, however unintentionally, make things worse by removing the requirement for reasonable work as part of their experience, thereby insulating your children from the very things that helped make you what you are.”” [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parents should guide children toward effort and responsibility, not shield them from challenges that foster character. **In simple terms:** Protect children from hard work harms growth. Key Takeaway Encourage effort, not entitlement. Themes parenting responsibility growth Mood reflective concerned Type advice parenting When to use this quote - raising children - teaching work ethic - family dynamics Key Concepts character development intergenerational learning Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance support with independence? - What tasks can you assign to build competence? A Different Perspective Overprotective parenting can stunt resilience. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fathers/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [How quickly nature falls into revolt When gold becomes her object! 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I think athletes are starting to see that and that's why they're starting to speak…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-hawkins/they-want-everything-to-be-better-for-their-children-i-think-athletes/) [Andrew Hawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-hawkins/) ## More by Neal A. Maxwell > [Clearly, when we baptize, our eyes should gaze beyond the baptismal font to the holy temple. The great garner into which the sheaves should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/clearly-when-we-baptize-our-eyes-should-gaze-beyond-the-baptismal/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [We should not assume; however, that just because something is unexplainable by us, it is unexplainable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/we-should-not-assume-however-that-just-because-something-is/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [Naive optimism and pervasive pessimism are both to be avoided, therefore. 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Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [Our little pebble of poor performance helps to start, or to sustain, an avalanche.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/our-little-pebble-of-poor-performance-helps-to-start-or-to-sustain-an/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) [Explore all 328 Neal A. 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