---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The really good parents I've encountered…"
description: "\"“The really good parents I've encountered, on the other hand, expect their children to be noisy, messy, bouncy, squabble, whingy and covered in mud.”\" ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/richard-templar-29712_children_the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered_1061193.jpg"
---

#  The really good parents I've encountered, on the other…

![“The really good parents I've encountered, on the other hand, expect their children to be noisy, messy, bouncy, squabble, whingy and covered in mud.” quote by Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/richard-templar-29712_children_the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered_1061193.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/richard-templar-29712_children_the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered_1061193.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/richard-templar-29712_children_the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered_1061193.jpg)

> ““The really good parents I've encountered, on the other hand, expect their children to be noisy, messy, bouncy, squabble, whingy and covered in mud.””

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Good parenting embraces children's natural energy and messiness, seeing it as part of healthy development.

**In simple terms:** Parents should accept kids' mess and noise as normal.

Key Takeaway

Allow children to be messy and noisy.

Themes

parenting acceptance child development

Mood

encouraging practical

Type

parenting advice

When to use this quote

- playtime
- outdoor activities
- creative projects

Key Concepts

energy messiness growth boundaries

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you balance freedom and structure?
- What limits are healthy for messy play?

A Different Perspective

Excessive mess can hinder learning if not guided.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Good Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-parents/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/)

## Related quotes

> [The world is noisy and messy. You need to deal with the noise and uncertainty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daphne-koller/the-world-is-noisy-and-messy-you-need-to-deal-with-the-noise-and/)

[Daphne Koller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daphne-koller/)

> [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/)

[Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/)

> [We expect too much from our children. We exact from them a perfection which we are far from carrying out in ourselves; we require…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/we-expect-too-much-from-our-children-we-exact-from-them-a-perfection/)

[Dinah Maria Murlock Craik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dinah-maria-murlock-craik/)

> [It is not too much to expect that our children will enjoy in their homes electrical energy too cheap to meter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-strauss/it-is-not-too-much-to-expect-that-our-children-will-enjoy-in-their/)

Lewis Strauss

> [Serve your parents if you expect your children to serve you when you are old](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shri-radhe-maa/serve-your-parents-if-you-expect-your-children-to-serve-you-when-you/)

[Shri Radhe Maa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shri-radhe-maa/)

> [“How can she expect her children to dream as big as the stars if they can't lift their heads to gaze upon them?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-malerman/how-can-she-expect-her-children-to-dream-as-big-as-the-stars-if-they/)

[Josh Malerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-malerman/)

> [“effective parents expect their children to rise to life’s challenges (as you know, there are plenty!) and to respect the rules and limits that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-w-phelan/effective-parents-expect-their-children-to-rise-to-life-s-challenges/)

[Thomas W. Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-w-phelan/)

> [“Love isn't something you can demand, or even expect, of children.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-richesin/love-isn-t-something-you-can-demand-or-even-expect-of-children/)

[Andrea Richesin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-richesin/)

> [ I expect that \[trying to do the best\] of my players today and of my kids. My wife says I shouldn't expect that of… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-robinson/i-expect-that-trying-to-do-the-best-of-my-players-today-and-of-my/)

[Frank Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-robinson/)

> [Let us first fulfill Christ's injunction ourselves and only then venture to expect it of our children. Otherwise we are not fathers, but enemies…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/let-us-first-fulfill-christ-s-injunction-ourselves-and-only-then/)

[Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/)

> [“It is unreasonable to expect all children to develop correctly in unnatural man-made electromagnetic radiation fields.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/it-is-unreasonable-to-expect-all-children-to-develop-correctly-in/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [Depend upon it, as long as the church is living so much like the world, we cannot expect our children to be brought into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-l-moody/depend-upon-it-as-long-as-the-church-is-living-so-much-like-the-world/)

[Dwight L. Moody](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-l-moody/)

> [How can we expect our children to know and experience the joy of giving unless we teach them that the greater pleasure in life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cash-penney/how-can-we-expect-our-children-to-know-and-experience-the-joy-of/)

[James Cash Penney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cash-penney/)

> [My meaning is, that no man can expect his children to respect what he degrades.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/my-meaning-is-that-no-man-can-expect-his-children-to-respect-what-he/)

[Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/)

> [If we expect our children to thrive at our colleges and universities, and succeed in our economy once they graduate - first we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kirsten-gillibrand/if-we-expect-our-children-to-thrive-at-our-colleges-and-universities/)

[Kirsten Gillibrand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kirsten-gillibrand/)

## More by Richard Templar

> [“In order to love people usefully you need to be focused on them and not yourself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/in-order-to-love-people-usefully-you-need-to-be-focused-on-them-and/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“If it’s dead, don’t go digging it up every five minutes to check if there’s a pulse. It’s dead; walk away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/if-it-s-dead-don-t-go-digging-it-up-every-five-minutes-to-check-if/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“The Rule really is: be kind to yourself when you do muck things up. Be forgiving and accept that it's all part of that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/the-rule-really-is-be-kind-to-yourself-when-you-do-muck-things-up-be/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“IF YOU DON’T PLAN YOUR PLAN, IT WILL REMAIN A DREAM”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/if-you-don-t-plan-your-plan-it-will-remain-a-dream/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“PLANS HAVE TO BE REALISTIC; DREAMS DON’T”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/plans-have-to-be-realistic-dreams-don-t/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“Rule 4 Accept yourself You don't have to improve or change or strive for perfection. Quite the opposite. Just accept.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/rule-4-accept-yourself-you-don-t-have-to-improve-or-change-or-strive/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“we all need reassurance and encouragement. We're human, and that's how we work”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/we-all-need-reassurance-and-encouragement-we-re-human-and-that-s-how/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“What we do and what we take seriously can often be so far removed from what it is actually all about that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/what-we-do-and-what-we-take-seriously-can-often-be-so-far-removed/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“Wisdom isn’t about not making mistakes, but about learning to escape afterwards with our dignity and sanity intact.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/wisdom-isn-t-about-not-making-mistakes-but-about-learning-to-escape/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“If you want to, you can let go of any feelings of resentment, of regret, of anger. You can accept that you are a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/if-you-want-to-you-can-let-go-of-any-feelings-of-resentment-of-regret/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“This has to be a Rule because there can be no choice here. We have to accept that we are the way we are—the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/this-has-to-be-a-rule-because-there-can-be-no-choice-here-we-have-to/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“you would be surprised how many people seriously limit their dreams. They're your dreams for heaven's sake. There should be no limit to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/you-would-be-surprised-how-many-people-seriously-limit-their-dreams/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“Live here, live now, live in this moment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/live-here-live-now-live-in-this-moment/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“Try to see the past as a room separate from the one you live in now. You can go in there, but you don’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/try-to-see-the-past-as-a-room-separate-from-the-one-you-live-in-now/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

> [“The better you understand the beliefs, actions, desires, and wants of others, the more likely you are to make the right response, alter your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/the-better-you-understand-the-beliefs-actions-desires-and-wants-of/)

[Richard Templar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

[Explore all 18 Richard Templar quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/)

## More Child quotes

> [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/)

[Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/)

[Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/)

> [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/)

[LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/)

> [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/)

[Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/)

> [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/)

[Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/)

> [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/)

[Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/)

> [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/)

[Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/)

> [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/)

[Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/)

> [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/)

[Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/)

> [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/)

[Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/)

> [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/)

[Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/)

> [Bring up your children in the way you think other peoples children should go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/bring-up-your-children-in-the-way-you-think-other-peoples-children/)

[Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/)

> [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/)

Sheila Kamerman

> [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/)

[Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/)

[Browse all 10,700 Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“The really good parents I've encountered, on the other hand, expect their children to be noisy, messy, bouncy, squabble, whingy and covered in mud.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Templar"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered-on-the-other-hand-expect/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Child"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered-on-the-other-hand-expect/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/richard-templar-29712_children_the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered_1061193.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/richard-templar-29712_children_the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered_1061193.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8c6/richard-templar-29712_children_the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered_1061193.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The really good parents I've encountered, on the other hand, expect their children to be noisy, messy…” — Richard Templar",
                "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": "Richard Templar",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-templar/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“The really good parents I've encountered,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered-on-the-other-hand-expect/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-templar/the-really-good-parents-i-ve-encountered-on-the-other-hand-expect/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
