Children Learn What They Live
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
by Dorothy Law Nolte: “Children Learn What They Live: Parenting to Inspire Values” (1998), page vi
Shown above is one of several versions of the poem, “Children Learn What They Live,” known to exist, the work having been revised by its author more than once.
Dorothy Law Nolte was born as Dorothy Louise McDaniel on 12 January 1924 in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. She was a family counselor and a writer. Dorothy Law Nolte passed on at 81 years of age on 6 November 2005 in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, United States of America.
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
by Dorothy Law Nolte: “Children Learn What They Live: Parenting to Inspire Values” (1998), page vi
Shown above is one of several versions of the poem, “Children Learn What They Live,” known to exist, the work having been revised by its author more than once.
Dorothy Law Nolte was born as Dorothy Louise McDaniel on 12 January 1924 in Los Angeles, California, United States of America. She was a family counselor and a writer. Dorothy Law Nolte passed on at 81 years of age on 6 November 2005 in Rancho Santa Margarita, California, United States of America.