--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you raise a child, you don't sit…" description: "\"When you raise a child, you don't sit down and take all the rules of life, write them into a big catalog, and start reading the child all these individ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/sebastian-thrun-3182_child_when-you-raise-a-child-you-don-t-sit-dow_305466.png" --- # When you raise a child, you don't sit down and take all… ![“When you raise a child, you don't sit down and take all the rules of life, write them into a big catalog, and start reading the child all these individual rules from A to Z. When we raise a child, a lot of what we do is let the child experiment and guide the experimentation. The child basically…” quote by Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/sebastian-thrun-3182_child_when-you-raise-a-child-you-don-t-sit-dow_305466.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/sebastian-thrun-3182_child_when-you-raise-a-child-you-don-t-sit-dow_305466.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/672/sebastian-thrun-3182_child_when-you-raise-a-child-you-don-t-sit-dow_305466.png) > “When you raise a child, you don't sit down and take all the rules of life, write them into a big catalog, and start reading the child all these individual rules from A to Z. When we raise a child, a lot of what we do is let the child experiment and guide the experimentation. The child basically has to process his own data and learn from experience.” [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parenting should focus on guiding children to learn through experience rather than imposing rigid rules. **In simple terms:** Teach by letting kids experiment and learn. Key Takeaway Encourage experiential learning. Themes education parenting experimentation learning Mood reflective encouraging Type educational philosophical When to use this quote - Home schooling - after‑school programs - skill workshops - family discussions Key Concepts Constructivist theory developmental psychology Questions to Reflect On - What balance of guidance and freedom works best? - How can parents support safe experimentation? A Different Perspective Children may need some structure for safety. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experience/) [Learn From Experience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/learn-from-experience/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Process](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/process/) [Rules](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules/) [Rules of life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rules-of-life/) ## Related quotes > [“Accept each child as an individual, the way he is - And maybe in this atmosphere of accepting and trusting each other we can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marty-maccraken/accept-each-child-as-an-individual-the-way-he-is-and-maybe-in-this/) [Marty MacCraken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marty-maccraken/) > [It's a difficult position. 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Ron Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-ron-hubbard/) > [Not let the child run the circus, just have that child be the source of the creative voice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-corgan/not-let-the-child-run-the-circus-just-have-that-child-be-the-source/) [Billy Corgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-corgan/) > [Let the child's first lesson be obedience, and the second will be what thou wilt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/let-the-child-s-first-lesson-be-obedience-and-the-second-will-be-what/) [Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/) > [“-And what would you do if you lost a child? -I would think I was going to die, Elena said. But I wouldn't. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bergen/and-what-would-you-do-if-you-lost-a-child-i-would-think-i-was-going/) [David Bergen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bergen/) > [I would let my child do whatever made their heart sing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darren-hayes/i-would-let-my-child-do-whatever-made-their-heart-sing/) [Darren Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darren-hayes/) > [The fastest way to be a bad parent is to never let your child be a kid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-fastest-way-to-be-a-bad-parent-is-to-never-let-your-child-be-a-kid/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Personally, I think it's a good way to let a child start right in with the laws of Nature before he's old enough to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phyllis-bottome/personally-i-think-it-s-a-good-way-to-let-a-child-start-right-in-with/) [Phyllis Bottome](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phyllis-bottome/) > [“Let each child have that's in our care. As much neurosis as the child can bear”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-h-auden-2/let-each-child-have-that-s-in-our-care-as-much-neurosis-as-the-child/) [W.H. Auden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-h-auden-2/) > [“Let your child see you doing a good deed instead of you telling him or her to do it, and the little child shall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhijit-naskar/let-your-child-see-you-doing-a-good-deed-instead-of-you-telling-him/) [Abhijit Naskar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-naskar/) > [The worst thing a mother could ever do is have to let her child say I do](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-worst-thing-a-mother-could-ever-do-is-have-to-let-her-child-say-i/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nobody ever told me learning to let your child grow would be one of the hardest things I was going to go through!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kim-zolciak-biermann/nobody-ever-told-me-learning-to-let-your-child-grow-would-be-one-of/) [Kim Zolciak-Biermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kim-zolciak-biermann/) > [If you let a child know that you think he is lazy, sloppy, untruthful, unpleasant, and thoughtless, he'll probably prove you are right. Obviously,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/if-you-let-a-child-know-that-you-think-he-is-lazy-sloppy-untruthful/) [James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/) ## More by Sebastian Thrun > [Almost all accidents take place because of human distraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/almost-all-accidents-take-place-because-of-human-distraction/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [I'm really looking forward to a time when generations after us look back and say how ridiculous it was that humans were driving cars.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/i-m-really-looking-forward-to-a-time-when-generations-after-us-look/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [There will be no more one-size-fits-all. Education will respond to you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/there-will-be-no-more-one-size-fits-all-education-will-respond-to-you/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [I take all day to climb mountains and then spend about 10 minutes at the top admiring the view.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/i-take-all-day-to-climb-mountains-and-then-spend-about-10-minutes-at/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [Its a no-brainer for me that at some point our cars will have the ability to drive themselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-thrun/its-a-no-brainer-for-me-that-at-some-point-our-cars-will-have-the/) [Sebastian Thrun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-thrun/) > [I am particularly surprised that certain outlets look at pass rates irrespective of student population. 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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. 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