--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is behavior, not words, that has the…" description: "\"“It is behavior, not words, that has the greatest impact on a child. When a mother tells her daughter not to allow a man to control her or abuse her an..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/susan-forward-4980_children_it-is-behavior-not-words-that-has-the-gr_1714337.jpg" --- # It is behavior, not words, that has the greatest impact on… ![“It is behavior, not words, that has the greatest impact on a child. When a mother tells her daughter not to allow a man to control her or abuse her and then models the opposite in her own relationship with her husband, the girl will respond only to the behavioral message, not the verbal one.” quote by Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/susan-forward-4980_children_it-is-behavior-not-words-that-has-the-gr_1714337.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/susan-forward-4980_children_it-is-behavior-not-words-that-has-the-gr_1714337.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/477/susan-forward-4980_children_it-is-behavior-not-words-that-has-the-gr_1714337.jpg) > ““It is behavior, not words, that has the greatest impact on a child. When a mother tells her daughter not to allow a man to control her or abuse her and then models the opposite in her own relationship with her husband, the girl will respond only to the behavioral message, not the verbal one.”” [Susan Forward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-forward/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children learn behavior from parental actions more than verbal advice. **In simple terms:** Actions teach children more than words. Key Takeaway Model the behavior you want to see. Themes parenting behavioral modeling child development Mood concerned empathetic Type educational advisory When to use this quote - parenting workshops - therapy sessions - education programs Key Concepts social learning theory family dynamics Questions to Reflect On - What behaviors do you model? - How can you align words and actions? A Different Perspective Changing deep habits is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Behavior](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/behavior/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Marriage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/marriage/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [When my husband tells our daughter, 'You get that trait from Mom,' she lights up with pride. We all know who he's talking about.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daryn-kagan/when-my-husband-tells-our-daughter-you-get-that-trait-from-mom-she/) [Daryn Kagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daryn-kagan/) > [“Behavior is the critical in-store factor. 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We are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-thomas/we-are-endowed-with-genes-which-code-out-our-reaction-to-beavers-and/) [Lewis Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-thomas/) > [The number of poor, and poorly prepared, students who succeed in college and beyond undercuts the simplistic notion that economic or educational disadvantage is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roland-merullo/the-number-of-poor-and-poorly-prepared-students-who-succeed-in/) [Roland Merullo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roland-merullo/) > [To behave creatively in art means behavior with skill; and skill comes from discipline, not derangement. The artist who knows the rules -and proportion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/burne-hogarth/to-behave-creatively-in-art-means-behavior-with-skill-and-skill-comes/) Burne Hogarth > [You don't put milk in chamomile tea - that's disgusting behavior! That's not right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-fraser/you-don-t-put-milk-in-chamomile-tea-that-s-disgusting-behavior-that-s/) [Laura Fraser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-fraser/) > [The laws of thermodynamics, as empirically determined, express the approximate and probable behavior of systems of a great number of particles, or, more precisely,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-willard-gibbs/the-laws-of-thermodynamics-as-empirically-determined-express-the/) J. Willard Gibbs > [I started with the belief that every person who came to the laboratory was free to accept or to reject the dictates of authority.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-milgram/i-started-with-the-belief-that-every-person-who-came-to-the/) [Stanley Milgram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-milgram/) > [The tipping point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/the-tipping-point-is-that-magic-moment-when-an-idea-trend-or-social/) [Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/) > [I think we've told a lot of lies about human behavior through film.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-arquette/i-think-we-ve-told-a-lot-of-lies-about-human-behavior-through-film/) [Patricia Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-arquette/) > [The strongest rebellion may be expressed in quiet, undramatic behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-spock/the-strongest-rebellion-may-be-expressed-in-quiet-undramatic-behavior/) [Benjamin Spock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-spock/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [If you want good behavior, don't pay on a commission basis. 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