--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are things that you cannot talk to…" description: "\"There are things that you cannot talk to your mother and father about, there are things that you cannot talk to your children about.\" — Shirley Knight" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/shirley-knight-25674_children_there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to_709710.jpg" --- # There are things that you cannot talk to your mother and… ![“There are things that you cannot talk to your mother and father about, there are things that you cannot talk to your children about.” quote by Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/shirley-knight-25674_children_there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to_709710.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/shirley-knight-25674_children_there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to_709710.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/shirley-knight-25674_children_there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to_709710.jpg) > “There are things that you cannot talk to your mother and father about, there are things that you cannot talk to your children about.” [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Certain topics remain taboo across generations, limiting open dialogue. **In simple terms:** Some subjects are hard to discuss with family. Key Takeaway Encourage honest family conversations. Themes family communication taboos Mood empathetic thoughtful Type supportive counseling When to use this quote - family therapy - parent‑child counseling - conflict resolution Key Concepts psychology intergenerational dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What topics are most often avoided in your family? - How can you create safe spaces for difficult talks? A Different Perspective Cultural norms may inhibit openness. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother and father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-and-father/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [If you talk to your children, you can help them keep their lives together. If you talk to them skillfully, you can help them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-rohn/if-you-talk-to-your-children-you-can-help-them-keep-their-lives/) [Jim Rohn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-rohn/) > [Don't look over people's shoulders. Look in their eyes. Don't talk at your children. Take their faces in your hands and talk to them.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leo-buscaglia/don-t-look-over-people-s-shoulders-look-in-their-eyes-don-t-talk-at/) [Leo Buscaglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leo-buscaglia/) > [My mother and father were visionaries in Pittsburgh, part of that collective of people who were creative and active together, and I am a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamman-rucker/my-mother-and-father-were-visionaries-in-pittsburgh-part-of-that/) [Lamman Rucker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamman-rucker/) > [There was a ton of fighting between my mother and father. The kids would be thrown into the middle, to choose sides.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-carter/there-was-a-ton-of-fighting-between-my-mother-and-father-the-kids/) [Nick Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-carter/) > [“To whom is he to go if you are not together, mother and father?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoyevsky/to-whom-is-he-to-go-if-you-are-not-together-mother-and-father/) [Fyodor Dostoyevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoyevsky/) > [The thing is that my father's story helps to communicate what was at stake with my mother, and my mother and father had so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-kennedy/the-thing-is-that-my-father-s-story-helps-to-communicate-what-was-at/) [Rory Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-kennedy/) > [“My mother and father held hands. I wondered what that was like, to hold someone’s hand. I bet you could sometimes find all of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/my-mother-and-father-held-hands-i-wondered-what-that-was-like-to-hold/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If we can genuinely honor our mother and father we are not only at peace with ourselves but we can then give birth to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-maclaine/if-we-can-genuinely-honor-our-mother-and-father-we-are-not-only-at/) [Shirley MacLaine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-maclaine/) > [Well I love my second mother and father they have been there for me. They are happy people and outgoing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-mariee/well-i-love-my-second-mother-and-father-they-have-been-there-for-me/) Jessica Mariee > [My father said it himself in an interview many years ago: 'Husband and wife failed, but mother and father didn't.' I've got a life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jakob-dylan/my-father-said-it-himself-in-an-interview-many-years-ago-husband-and/) [Jakob Dylan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jakob-dylan/) > [God is the mother and father of the world. Our parents are the mother and father of this body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/god-is-the-mother-and-father-of-the-world-our-parents-are-the-mother/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I got my first check I was thinking my mother and father didn't make this probably in their lifetime. It's real amazing that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwyane-wade/when-i-got-my-first-check-i-was-thinking-my-mother-and-father-didn-t/) [Dwyane Wade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwyane-wade/) > [We used to go to the jazz fest in Kansas City. And my mother and father took me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steward/we-used-to-go-to-the-jazz-fest-in-kansas-city-and-my-mother-and/) [David Steward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steward/) > [My mother is a huge fan of my work. I told her about 'Coraline' long before the film was made, and she got the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-selick/my-mother-is-a-huge-fan-of-my-work-i-told-her-about-coraline-long/) [Henry Selick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-selick/) > [Our mother and father are our way of life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/our-mother-and-father-are-our-way-of-life/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Shirley Knight > [The other death for an actor is comparing yourself to other people: Forget someone else's path. Concentrate on your path. Otherwise, you get lost,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/the-other-death-for-an-actor-is-comparing-yourself-to-other-people/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [There's a great difference between being popular and being an artist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/there-s-a-great-difference-between-being-popular-and-being-an-artist/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [My goal was not to be famous or rich but to be good at what I did. And that required going to New York…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/my-goal-was-not-to-be-famous-or-rich-but-to-be-good-at-what-i-did-and/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [I took individual photographs of Annie Liebovitz, I kept taking her picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/i-took-individual-photographs-of-annie-liebovitz-i-kept-taking-her/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [There's no place to act in Kansas. You're supressed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/there-s-no-place-to-act-in-kansas-you-re-supressed/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [I moved to LA and decided to do films and television, mainly because the theater in New York is totally dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/i-moved-to-la-and-decided-to-do-films-and-television-mainly-because/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [So many directors are solely focused on their own success in Hollywood and multimillion dollar budgets and deals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/so-many-directors-are-solely-focused-on-their-own-success-in/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [I just let the character speak to me and things appear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/i-just-let-the-character-speak-to-me-and-things-appear/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [Hollywood - that's where they give Academy Awards to Charlton Heston for acting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/hollywood-that-s-where-they-give-academy-awards-to-charlton-heston/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [The only people you can really share certain things with in secret are your girlfriends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/the-only-people-you-can-really-share-certain-things-with-in-secret/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [It's no accident that Tony Hopkins is a wonderful film actor.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/it-s-no-accident-that-tony-hopkins-is-a-wonderful-film-actor/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [My acting career helped pull me through the rough times.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/my-acting-career-helped-pull-me-through-the-rough-times/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [I did the occasional odd film, like Endless Love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/i-did-the-occasional-odd-film-like-endless-love/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [I got an agent and went up for the part of my first film, Five Gates to Hell.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/i-got-an-agent-and-went-up-for-the-part-of-my-first-film-five-gates/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) > [Film actors reach a certain level, but they don't get beyond it unless they work in the theater.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/film-actors-reach-a-certain-level-but-they-don-t-get-beyond-it-unless/) [Shirley Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) [Explore all 22 Shirley Knight quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“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 a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There are things that you cannot talk to your mother and father about, there are things that you cannot talk to your children about.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Shirley Knight" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to-your-mother-and-father-about/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to-your-mother-and-father-about/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/shirley-knight-25674_children_there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to_709710.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/shirley-knight-25674_children_there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to_709710.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/59b/shirley-knight-25674_children_there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to_709710.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“There are things that you cannot talk to your mother and father about, there are things that you cannot talk…” — Shirley Knight", "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": "Shirley Knight", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-knight/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "There are things that you cannot...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to-your-mother-and-father-about/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-knight/there-are-things-that-you-cannot-talk-to-your-mother-and-father-about/#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 } } ] } ```