Boxes Quote by Rachel Naomi Remen
“Chances are that any helpful two-year-old will break some eggs. We are often not very good at things when we are new. But there may be an important choice to make at such moments. Do we support and protect the innate wish to be of help to others in our children, or do we protect the eggs? Hard as it seems, the greater mother wisdom may lie in a willingness to clean up broken eggs or replace a mitten and a box of crayons.”
About This Quote
Parents must decide whether to nurture a child's instinct to help, even if it leads to mistakes, or to shield them from failure. The deeper lesson is that growth often comes from handling brokenness rather than preventing it.
In simple terms: Balancing protective instincts with encouraging helpfulness in kids.
Key Takeaway
Embrace messes as learning opportunities.
Themes
parenting
growth mindset
risk taking
resilience
empathy
Mood
thoughtful
encouraging
reflective
Type
advice
philosophical
parenting
When to use this quote
- a child spilling paint
- a toddler breaking a toy
- a kid offering to help with chores
- a child attempting a new skill
Key Concepts
child development
helpfulness
failure
protective instincts
Practical Applications
- teaching kids to clean up after mistakes
- allowing children to assist despite potential errors
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we model constructive responses to failure for children?
- What boundaries protect safety while fostering helpfulness?
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