---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To be motivated to sit at home and study…"
description: "\"To be motivated to sit at home and study, instead of going out and playing, children need a sense of themselves over time--they need to be able to pict..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/stanley-greenspan-34084_able_to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study_417789.png"
---

#  To be motivated to sit at home and study, instead of going…

![“To be motivated to sit at home and study, instead of going out and playing, children need a sense of themselves over time--they need to be able to picture themselves in the future… If they can't, then they're simply reacting to daily events, responding to the needs of the moment--for pleasure, for…” quote by Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/stanley-greenspan-34084_able_to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study_417789.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/stanley-greenspan-34084_able_to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study_417789.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/stanley-greenspan-34084_able_to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study_417789.png)

> “To be motivated to sit at home and study, instead of going out and playing, children need a sense of themselves over time--they need to be able to picture themselves in the future… If they can't, then they're simply reacting to daily events, responding to the needs of the moment--for pleasure, for affiliation, for acceptance.”

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

## About This Quote

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

Children must develop a future self‑image to choose study over immediate fun, otherwise they act only on present impulses.

**In simple terms:** Kids need a future self‑image to study.

Key Takeaway

Cultivate long‑term self‑vision.

Themes

motivation future orientation self‑concept

Mood

reflective encouraging

Type

advice psychological

When to use this quote

- education planning
- parental guidance
- career counseling
- goal setting

Key Concepts

psychology developmental theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How can we help children visualize their future selves?
- What activities build long‑term self‑image?

A Different Perspective

Kids may lack imagination for future, limiting motivation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Acceptance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/acceptance/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) [Events](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/events/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Moments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/moments/) [Motivation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motivation/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [“Artistry doesn’t always need an audience. Sometimes, it just needs a moment.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cuoco/artistry-doesn-t-always-need-an-audience-sometimes-it-just-needs-a/)

[Steven Cuoco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cuoco/)

> [Whatever you do in this life, take time to sit quietly and let the world tell you what it needs from you. Take a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-reed/whatever-you-do-in-this-life-take-time-to-sit-quietly-and-let-the/)

[Ann Reed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-reed/)

> [Prayer shouldn't be casual or sporadic, dictated only by the needs of the moment. Prayer should be as much a part of our lives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/billy-graham/prayer-shouldn-t-be-casual-or-sporadic-dictated-only-by-the-needs-of/)

[Billy Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/billy-graham/)

> [I think because my life is so insane and it's constantly going at 120 miles per hour, my favorite thing to do is sit…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-hayes/i-think-because-my-life-is-so-insane-and-it-s-constantly-going-at-120/)

[Sean Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-hayes/)

> [I can't believe that people really prefer to go to the concert hall under intellectually trying, socially trying, physically trying conditions, unable to repeat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-babbitt/i-can-t-believe-that-people-really-prefer-to-go-to-the-concert-hall/)

Milton Babbitt

> [I don't sit at home and test my driver, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xander-schauffele/i-don-t-sit-at-home-and-test-my-driver-you-know/)

[Xander Schauffele](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xander-schauffele/)

> [It's one thing to sit at home and write a piece with your guitar, and quite another to have it performed by four people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-scofield/it-s-one-thing-to-sit-at-home-and-write-a-piece-with-your-guitar-and/)

[John Scofield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-scofield/)

> [I've worked with lots of actors who sit at home for years waiting to get a job, then as soon as they do, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-kemp/i-ve-worked-with-lots-of-actors-who-sit-at-home-for-years-waiting-to/)

[Martin Kemp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-kemp/)

> [I'm not going to sit at home and eat popcorn,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/i-m-not-going-to-sit-at-home-and-eat-popcorn/)

[Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/)

> [I will happily sit at home and take care of the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fahadh-faasil/i-will-happily-sit-at-home-and-take-care-of-the-house/)

[Fahadh Faasil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fahadh-faasil/)

> [I drove my Mum crazy, because I wouldn't go out and play football or join the Boy Scouts, I'd just sit at home and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-moore/i-drove-my-mum-crazy-because-i-wouldn-t-go-out-and-play-football-or/)

[Gary Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-moore/)

> [If you want to conquer fear, don't sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-carnegie/if-you-want-to-conquer-fear-don-t-sit-home-and-think-about-it-go-out/)

[Dale Carnegie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-carnegie/)

> [There is no room for fashionable corporate blather about showing you care for your staff by letting them sit at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/touker-suleyman/there-is-no-room-for-fashionable-corporate-blather-about-showing-you/)

[Touker Suleyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/touker-suleyman/)

> [Nothing happens when you sit at home. I always make it a point to carry a camera with me at all times...I just shoot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-erwitt/nothing-happens-when-you-sit-at-home-i-always-make-it-a-point-to/)

[Elliott Erwitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-erwitt/)

> [I love being on the road. I sit at home too long, and I start to go a bit stir crazy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickie-james/i-love-being-on-the-road-i-sit-at-home-too-long-and-i-start-to-go-a/)

[Mickie James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickie-james/)

## More by Stanley Greenspan

> [A new world of complex relationships and feelings opens up when the peer group takes its place alongside the family as the emotional focus…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/a-new-world-of-complex-relationships-and-feelings-opens-up-when-the/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [If our society were truly to appreciate the significance of children's emotional ties throughout the first years of life, it would no longer tolerate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/if-our-society-were-truly-to-appreciate-the-significance-of-children/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [Self-esteem is an inner feeling: Sometimes it corresponds with outer reality, and sometimes it doesn’t.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/self-esteem-is-an-inner-feeling-sometimes-it-corresponds-with-outer/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [If you do a little bit of looking at books with your children and inspire them to be curious about the pictures and ...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/if-you-do-a-little-bit-of-looking-at-books-with-your-children-and/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [If your child is going to develop a healthy personality with the capacity to remain intact and grow, she must learn how to test…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/if-your-child-is-going-to-develop-a-healthy-personality-with-the/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [We need to take a less narrow look at our children’s problems and, instead, see them as windows of opportunity—a way of exploring and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/we-need-to-take-a-less-narrow-look-at-our-children-s-problems-and/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [Imagine driving a car that isn't working well. When you step on the gas the car sometimes lurches forward and sometimes doesn't respond. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/imagine-driving-a-car-that-isn-t-working-well-when-you-step-on-the/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [Learning first occurs as a part of emotional interactions; it involves the split-second initiatives that children take as they try to engage other people,interact…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/learning-first-occurs-as-a-part-of-emotional-interactions-it-involves/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [Parents are led to believe that they must be consistent, that is, always respond to the same issue the same way. Consistency is good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/parents-are-led-to-believe-that-they-must-be-consistent-that-is/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [Although pretend play is important, it is still the means to an end, not the end itself. Do not make the mistake of thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/although-pretend-play-is-important-it-is-still-the-means-to-an-end/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [Empathy comes from being empathized with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/empathy-comes-from-being-empathized-with/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [Good discipline is more than just punishing or laying down the law. It is liking children and letting them see that they are liked.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/good-discipline-is-more-than-just-punishing-or-laying-down-the-law-it/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

> [Attention, learning, and problem solving depend in part on the ability to plan and sequence actions and ideas. The Interactive Metronome(R) helps individuals systematically…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/attention-learning-and-problem-solving-depend-in-part-on-the-ability/)

[Stanley Greenspan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

[Explore all 14 Stanley Greenspan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/)

## More Able 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/)

> [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [There is something about the South that accepts the supernatural. If you don't accept it and you're having a conversation with someone who does,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-englert/there-is-something-about-the-south-that-accepts-the-supernatural-if/)

[Alice Englert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-englert/)

> [In the '80s, the way radio was programmed, if you didn't have a hit record you weren't going to be able to make any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/huey-lewis/in-the-80s-the-way-radio-was-programmed-if-you-didn-t-have-a-hit/)

[Huey Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/huey-lewis/)

> [I think I've had the longest career of strength, focus, and still being able to sell records. I think I'm that guy. I'm still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nas/i-think-i-ve-had-the-longest-career-of-strength-focus-and-still-being/)

[Nas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nas/)

> [I have that need in me, I want everyone to love me, but I'm embarrassed by that need, so I wanted to cover it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-jeselnik/i-have-that-need-in-me-i-want-everyone-to-love-me-but-i-m-embarrassed/)

[Anthony Jeselnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-jeselnik/)

> [Thinking about the things that happened, I don't know any other ball player would could have done what he (Jackie Robinson) did. To be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pee-wee-reese/thinking-about-the-things-that-happened-i-don-t-know-any-other-ball/)

[Pee Wee Reese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pee-wee-reese/)

> [I wanted to remember in order to be able to return.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-wanted-to-remember-in-order-to-be-able-to-return/)

[Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/)

> [Government schools, with your tax money, now discourage the teaching of multiplication tables by rote memorization but teach reading by the 'look-and-say' method which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-perry/government-schools-with-your-tax-money-now-discourage-the-teaching-of/)

Greg Perry

> [I don't know if I would qualify as mainstream. I think I have managed to function pretty successfully on the fringes of the music…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pat-metheny/i-don-t-know-if-i-would-qualify-as-mainstream-i-think-i-have-managed/)

[Pat Metheny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pat-metheny/)

> [What we're supposed to do as actors is be able to portray real human beings and emotions. And if you grow up in this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-browning/what-we-re-supposed-to-do-as-actors-is-be-able-to-portray-real-human/)

[Emily Browning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-browning/)

> [The reason that Apple is able to create products like iPad is because we always try to be at the intersection of technology and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/the-reason-that-apple-is-able-to-create-products-like-ipad-is-because/)

[Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/)

> [It was an important period for us, because even though we weren't a "punk band", and what became a model for a punk band,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-mallinder/it-was-an-important-period-for-us-because-even-though-we-weren-t-a/)

[Stephen Mallinder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-mallinder/)

> [- You look fine. - Right. I look fine. Except I don't, said Zora, tugging sadly at her man's nightshirt. This was why Kiki…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zadie-smith/you-look-fine-right-i-look-fine-except-i-don-t-said-zora-tugging/)

[Zadie Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zadie-smith/)

> [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/)

[Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/)

Browse all 17,257 Able quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "To be motivated to sit at home and study, instead of going out and playing, children need a sense of themselves over time--they need to be able to picture themselves in the future… If they can't, then they're simply reacting to daily events, responding to the needs of the moment--for pleasure, for affiliation, for acceptance.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Stanley Greenspan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study-instead-of-going-out-and/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Able"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study-instead-of-going-out-and/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/stanley-greenspan-34084_able_to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study_417789.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/stanley-greenspan-34084_able_to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study_417789.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/923/stanley-greenspan-34084_able_to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study_417789.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“To be motivated to sit at home and study, instead of going out and playing, children need a sense of…” — Stanley Greenspan",
                "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": "Stanley Greenspan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-greenspan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "To be motivated to sit at...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study-instead-of-going-out-and/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-greenspan/to-be-motivated-to-sit-at-home-and-study-instead-of-going-out-and/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
