16 Quotes About Children and Childhood

Who wouldn't want to see the world through the eyes of a child? We've compiled some quotes about children and childhood that reflect how special and relevant this precious time is.

Written and verified by the psychologist Elena Sanz Martín.

Last update: 27 December, 2022

Children are unique and special beings because of the way they see the world, due to their honesty and innocence. They’re pure souls who come to remind us of important life lessons that we forget as we grow up. For example, the healing power of kisses, the strength of a sincere smile, or the value of living in the present. So, to honor their essence and their teachings, today, we’ll present some of the best quotes about children and childhood.

Philosophers, writers, educators… there’s a great diversity of people who’ve reflected on this sweet initial stage of life. With these famous quotes, we invite you to remember your own childhood, celebrate that of your children, and understand how these years will influence their lives.

Cute quotes about children and childhood

Reflections on child care

Anyone who lives with children on a daily basis and participates in their upbringing knows that this is a task that’s as rewarding as it is exhausting. No human being is perfect, but those who have the privilege and responsibility of forming the souls of children must be conscientious and careful in their treatment of them. The following sentences show this perfectly:

• “Over every child should be placed a sign saying: “Handle with care, contains dreams'”. (Mirko Badiale)
• “The best way to make children good is to make them happy.” (Oscar Wilde)
• “What’s done to children, they will do to society.” (Karl Menninger)
• “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” (Dr. Seuss)
• “Kids don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are” (Jim Henson)

Childhood has lifelong repercussions

The following famous quotes about children show the importance of childhood in the formation of the human personality. The first years of life forge character and understanding of the world and remain in our memories forever. Therefore, what happens then will continue to have repercussions on the adult many years later.

• “Educate the children and it won’t be necessary to punish the men”. (Pythagoras)
• “What’s the use of a child knowing the location of Neptune in the Universe if he doesn’t know where to put his sadness or his anger.” (José María Toro)
• “Childhood’s the garden where we play when we grow up.” (Álvaro Bilbao)
• “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” (Frederick Douglas)
• “Love childhood. Look with friendly eyes on its games, its pleasures, its amiable dispositions.” (Jean-Jacques Rosseau)
• “One of the pitfalls of childhood is that one doesn’t need to understand something to feel it. By the time reason’s capable of understanding what happened, the wounds in the heart are already too deep.” (Carlos Ruiz Zafón)

Phrases about children and their great lessons

Finally, we would like to dedicate a few sentences to remembering the magnificent lessons that children transmit to us adults every day. To live with an infant is to open up to a fresher, simpler, and more optimistic perspective on life. They’re great teachers who, through their tiny actions, inspire us to be better.

• “A child can teach an adult three things: To be happy for no reason, to always be busy with something, and to know how to demand with all his might that which he desires.” (Paulo Cohelo)
• “Childhood’s a wonderful stage. There’s no past, no future; only a present that’s looked at with innocence and illusion”. (Carla Montero)
• “While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.” (Angela Schwindt)
• “There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are seven million.” (Walt Streightiff)
• “Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh, and the greatness which does not bow before children.” (Khalil Gibran)

Caring for children to build a better future

Children are the future of the world and their present is in our hands. Therefore, we’re responsible for providing them with warm, safe, and enriching childhoods that allow them to develop emotionally healthily.

The human quality of the adults of the future will depend on the education and values they receive and on those memories forged during the first years of life. So, let’s take care of childhood and honor the greatness of children.