---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Sod the Office for bloody Statistics and…"
description: "\"“Sod the Office for bloody Statistics and sod the Guardian. It’s indulgent Guardian-reading parents like us who’ve mollycoddled our kids since they wer..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/sue-margolis-49674_delicate-flower_sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and_2068633.png"
---

#  Sod the Office for bloody Statistics and sod the Guardian…

![“Sod the Office for bloody Statistics and sod the Guardian. It’s indulgent Guardian-reading parents like us who’ve mollycoddled our kids since they were born who are responsible for all this. We’ve infantilized them, turned them into these delicate flowers who are too scared to go out into the…” quote by Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/sue-margolis-49674_delicate-flower_sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and_2068633.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/sue-margolis-49674_delicate-flower_sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and_2068633.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/sue-margolis-49674_delicate-flower_sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and_2068633.png)

> ““Sod the Office for bloody Statistics and sod the Guardian. It’s indulgent Guardian-reading parents like us who’ve mollycoddled our kids since they were born who are responsible for all this. We’ve infantilized them, turned them into these delicate flowers who are too scared to go out into the world and get their hands dirty. Ben needs to find a job. Any job. That’s all there is to it.””

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

## About This Quote

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

Overprotective parenting creates overly fragile children who fear real‑world challenges, leading to dependence and lack of work ethic.

**In simple terms:** Over‑protective parenting makes kids weak.

Key Takeaway

Encourage independence early.

Themes

parenting independence education work ethic

Mood

concerned reflective

Type

commentary social critique

When to use this quote

- school assignments
- family chores
- part‑time jobs
- community service
- mentorship programs

Key Concepts

over‑protection socialization career readiness

Questions to Reflect On

- What balance between safety and autonomy is healthy?
- How can parents foster resilience without neglecting care?

A Different Perspective

Some argue that safety concerns justify protective measures.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Guardian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guardian/)

## Related quotes

> [... love is too delicate a flower to rise again when one has trampled it under foot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/love-is-too-delicate-a-flower-to-rise-again-when-one-has-trampled-it/)

[George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/)

> [Creativity is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while discouragement often nips it in the bud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/creativity-is-so-delicate-a-flower-that-praise-tends-to-make-it-bloom/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [My friend jewelry designer Courtney Crangi has been obsessed with Star Wars all her life and has seen the movies 150 times. When we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/my-friend-jewelry-designer-courtney-crangi-has-been-obsessed-with/)

[Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/)

> [I saw a delicate flower had grown up two feet high between the horses' feet and the wheel trach. An inch more to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-saw-a-delicate-flower-had-grown-up-two-feet-high-between-the-horses/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [What troubles me about the "hostile workplace" category of sexual harassment policy is that women are being returned to their old status of delicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/what-troubles-me-about-the-hostile-workplace-category-of-sexual/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [Faith is not a delicate flower which would wither away under the slightest stormy weather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/faith-is-not-a-delicate-flower-which-would-wither-away-under-the/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [“Freud was the man who seeded a progeny of doctors interested in abnormal psychology. With the intellectual force of a battering ram, Freud penetrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wilbur/freud-was-the-man-who-seeded-a-progeny-of-doctors-interested-in/)

Dan Wilbur

> [Nick spoke for the first time. "Can I go to the nurse's office too?" Ms. Popplewell looked at him It obviously took her only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/nick-spoke-for-the-first-time-can-i-go-to-the-nurse-s-office-too-ms/)

[Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/)

> [“She was beautiful and lithe, with soft skin the color of bread and eyes like green almonds, and she had straight black hair that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/she-was-beautiful-and-lithe-with-soft-skin-the-color-of-bread-and/)

[Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [“Violet, the soft, delicate flower that is stronger than steel. Strong enough to support everyone around her. But are you strong enough to fix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-leighton/violet-the-soft-delicate-flower-that-is-stronger-than-steel-strong/)

[M. Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-leighton/)

> [You have to work to keep love alive; you have to protect it and maintain it, just like you would a delicate flower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/you-have-to-work-to-keep-love-alive-you-have-to-protect-it-and/)

[James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/)

> [“The evidence suggested that many American parents treated their children as if they were delicate flowers. In one Columbia University study, 85 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-evidence-suggested-that-many-american-parents-treated-their/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“And so, they sat next to a birch tree, watching the butterflies spin around them. Linetta leaned back, her dark hair falling against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-marinello-sweeney/and-so-they-sat-next-to-a-birch-tree-watching-the-butterflies-spin/)

[Gina Marinello-Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-marinello-sweeney/)

> [Civilization has ceased to be that delicate flower which was preserved and painstakingly cultivated in one or two sheltered areas of a soil rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-levi-strauss/civilization-has-ceased-to-be-that-delicate-flower-which-was/)

[Claude Levi-Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-levi-strauss/)

> [“Lena pressed her soft pears into his chest and ran her fingers through his hair as he pumped hard into her delicate flower garden.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lena-pressed-her-soft-pears-into-his-chest-and-ran-her-fingers/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Sue Margolis

> [Enjoying life isn't about finding the answers, but living the questions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/enjoying-life-isn-t-about-finding-the-answers-but-living-the-questions/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

> [“He didn't answer. Instead he cupped her face in his hands and drew her towards him. Then he kissed her lightly on the lips.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/he-didn-t-answer-instead-he-cupped-her-face-in-his-hands-and-drew-her/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

> [I'm just short for my weight. By rights I should measure eight foot three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/i-m-just-short-for-my-weight-by-rights-i-should-measure-eight-foot/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

> [“But at least he’d died at home and not some hospice. Who in their right mind wanted to die among the dying? Or surrounded…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/but-at-least-he-d-died-at-home-and-not-some-hospice-who-in-their/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

> [So yeah, anyway - I'm thirty-four and my mother is desperate for me to get married. She thinks settling down is what you should…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/so-yeah-anyway-i-m-thirty-four-and-my-mother-is-desperate-for-me-to/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

> [The women went berserk, to the accompaniment of 'When a Man Loves a Woman.' It was all bass and drums; the musical equivalent, Anna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/the-women-went-berserk-to-the-accompaniment-of-when-a-man-loves-a/)

[Sue Margolis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

[Explore all 7 Sue Margolis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/)

## More Delicate flower quotes

> [... love is too delicate a flower to rise again when one has trampled it under foot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-sand/love-is-too-delicate-a-flower-to-rise-again-when-one-has-trampled-it/)

[George Sand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-sand/)

> [Civilization has ceased to be that delicate flower which was preserved and painstakingly cultivated in one or two sheltered areas of a soil rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-levi-strauss/civilization-has-ceased-to-be-that-delicate-flower-which-was/)

[Claude Levi-Strauss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claude-levi-strauss/)

> [“And so, they sat next to a birch tree, watching the butterflies spin around them. Linetta leaned back, her dark hair falling against the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gina-marinello-sweeney/and-so-they-sat-next-to-a-birch-tree-watching-the-butterflies-spin/)

[Gina Marinello-Sweeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gina-marinello-sweeney/)

> [“The evidence suggested that many American parents treated their children as if they were delicate flowers. In one Columbia University study, 85 percent of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-evidence-suggested-that-many-american-parents-treated-their/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You have to work to keep love alive; you have to protect it and maintain it, just like you would a delicate flower.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-dobson/you-have-to-work-to-keep-love-alive-you-have-to-protect-it-and/)

[James Dobson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-dobson/)

> [“Violet, the soft, delicate flower that is stronger than steel. Strong enough to support everyone around her. But are you strong enough to fix…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-leighton/violet-the-soft-delicate-flower-that-is-stronger-than-steel-strong/)

[M. Leighton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-leighton/)

> [“She was beautiful and lithe, with soft skin the color of bread and eyes like green almonds, and she had straight black hair that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/she-was-beautiful-and-lithe-with-soft-skin-the-color-of-bread-and/)

[Gabriel García Márquez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-garc-a-m-rquez/)

> [Nick spoke for the first time. "Can I go to the nurse's office too?" Ms. Popplewell looked at him It obviously took her only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-rees-brennan/nick-spoke-for-the-first-time-can-i-go-to-the-nurse-s-office-too-ms/)

[Sarah Rees Brennan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-rees-brennan/)

> [“Freud was the man who seeded a progeny of doctors interested in abnormal psychology. With the intellectual force of a battering ram, Freud penetrated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-wilbur/freud-was-the-man-who-seeded-a-progeny-of-doctors-interested-in/)

Dan Wilbur

> [Faith is not a delicate flower which would wither away under the slightest stormy weather.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/faith-is-not-a-delicate-flower-which-would-wither-away-under-the/)

[Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/)

> [What troubles me about the "hostile workplace" category of sexual harassment policy is that women are being returned to their old status of delicate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/what-troubles-me-about-the-hostile-workplace-category-of-sexual/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [I saw a delicate flower had grown up two feet high between the horses' feet and the wheel trach. An inch more to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/i-saw-a-delicate-flower-had-grown-up-two-feet-high-between-the-horses/)

[Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/)

> [My friend jewelry designer Courtney Crangi has been obsessed with Star Wars all her life and has seen the movies 150 times. When we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cass-sunstein/my-friend-jewelry-designer-courtney-crangi-has-been-obsessed-with/)

[Cass Sunstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cass-sunstein/)

> [Creativity is so delicate a flower that praise tends to make it bloom, while discouragement often nips it in the bud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-butler/creativity-is-so-delicate-a-flower-that-praise-tends-to-make-it-bloom/)

[Samuel Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-butler/)

> [“Lena pressed her soft pears into his chest and ran her fingers through his hair as he pumped hard into her delicate flower garden.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/lena-pressed-her-soft-pears-into-his-chest-and-ran-her-fingers/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

Browse all 41 Delicate flower quotes

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“Sod the Office for bloody Statistics and sod the Guardian. It’s indulgent Guardian-reading parents like us who’ve mollycoddled our kids since they were born who are responsible for all this. We’ve infantilized them, turned them into these delicate flowers who are too scared to go out into the world and get their hands dirty. Ben needs to find a job. Any job. That’s all there is to it.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Sue Margolis"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and-sod-the-guardian-it-s/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Delicate flower"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and-sod-the-guardian-it-s/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/sue-margolis-49674_delicate-flower_sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and_2068633.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/sue-margolis-49674_delicate-flower_sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and_2068633.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/352/sue-margolis-49674_delicate-flower_sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and_2068633.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Sod the Office for bloody Statistics and sod the Guardian. It’s indulgent Guardian-reading parents like us…” — Sue Margolis",
                "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": "Sue Margolis",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-margolis/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“Sod the Office for bloody Statistics...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and-sod-the-guardian-it-s/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-margolis/sod-the-office-for-bloody-statistics-and-sod-the-guardian-it-s/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```