--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Madam, there's no such thing as a tough…" description: "\"Madam, there's no such thing as a tough child - if you parboil them first for seven hours, they always come out tender.\" — WCFields" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/wcfields-84039_children_madam-there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-tough-c_3108442.jpg" --- # Madam, there's no such thing as a tough child - if you… ![“Madam, there's no such thing as a tough child - if you parboil them first for seven hours, they always come out tender.” quote by WCFields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/wcfields-84039_children_madam-there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-tough-c_3108442.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/wcfields-84039_children_madam-there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-tough-c_3108442.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e59/wcfields-84039_children_madam-there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-tough-c_3108442.jpg) > “Madam, there's no such thing as a tough child - if you parboil them first for seven hours, they always come out tender.” WCFields ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Uses absurd cooking metaphor to suggest harsh treatment makes a child compliant. **In simple terms:** Treating kids harshly supposedly softens them. Key Takeaway Avoid harsh discipline; use kindness. Themes parenting humor discipline Mood sarcastic dark humor Type satire commentary When to use this quote - child upbringing - school behavior - family dynamics - authority challenges Key Concepts coercion obedience Questions to Reflect On - Is cruelty ever justified? - What are humane alternatives? A Different Perspective Violence is unethical and ineffective. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) ## Related quotes > [There's no such thing as a tough child - if you parboil them first for seven hours, they always come out tender.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-tough-child-if-you-parboil-them-first-for/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“The hardest part is the shi ft we have to make in atti tude. We have to stop thinking of the child as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-hardest-part-is-the-shi-ft-we-have-to-make-in-atti-tude-we-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [People think it must be wonderful being in movies or on television, but it can be very tough on a child. 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That's not me at all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keeley-hawes/in-the-adverts-i-look-like-i-do-because-150-people-have-spent-seven/) [Keeley Hawes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keeley-hawes/) > [“pulling seven people away from their work for an hour is worth seven hours of lost productivity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-fried/pulling-seven-people-away-from-their-work-for-an-hour-is-worth-seven/) [Jason Fried](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-fried/) > [Maybe I wish I could be out there on the big occasions playing like I did at my peak, but I certainly don't miss…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-hendry/maybe-i-wish-i-could-be-out-there-on-the-big-occasions-playing-like-i/) [Stephen Hendry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-hendry/) > [Spending seven to eight hours in the gym every day is not easy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danilo-gallinari/spending-seven-to-eight-hours-in-the-gym-every-day-is-not-easy/) [Danilo Gallinari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danilo-gallinari/) ## More by WCFields > [If at first you don't succeed, try again. Then quit. There's no use being a damn fool about it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wcfields/if-at-first-you-don-t-succeed-try-again-then-quit-there-s-no-use/) WCFields > [Twas a woman who drove me to drink. I never had the courtesy to thank her.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wcfields/twas-a-woman-who-drove-me-to-drink-i-never-had-the-courtesy-to-thank/) WCFields Explore all 3 WCFields quotes ## 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. 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