[Ads-l] Quote Origin: Do Not Confine Your Children to Your Own Learning, for They Were Born in Another Time

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

The saying in the subject line has been attributed to the Bengali sage
Rabindranath Tagore. The statement has also been called a Rabbinical
saying and an Arabic Proverb. I received a request to investigate.

The earliest match I found appeared in an 1887 book titled "Gems of
the Orient" which contained sayings compiled and translated by
Reverend A. Huebsch. The saying occurred in a part of the volume
titled "Arabic Proverbs and Sentences". The precise source of the
saying was not specified. Here are four statements from the subsection
about "Children":

[Begin excerpt]
Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born
in another time.

By much falling the child learns to walk.

>From the rose proceeds a thorn, from the thorn a rose. (Said of the
diversity between parents and children.)

Be submissive in thy childhood that thou mayest be respected in thy old age.
[End excerpt]

In 1894 "Good Housekeeping" magazine printed a collection of
miscellaneous sayings under the title "The Family Scrap Basket"
including the following three items:

[Begin excerpt]
What class of tradesmen succeed best by going to the wall? Paper hangers.

He is a gallant man, indeed, who always stands up for women—in a street car.

Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born
in another time.
[End excerpt]

In 1900 the saying appeared in "Wit and Wisdom of the Talmud" edited
by Madison C. Peters. Here are four statements from a section titled
"Duties Between Parents and Children":

[Begin excerpt]
Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born
in another time.

Where the children honor their parents, there God dwells, there He is honored.

Parental love should be impartial; one child must not be preferred to the other.
[End excerpt]

The three citations above demonstrate the uncertain origin of the
saying. The creator remains anonymous. The saying seems to be either
Arabic or Rabbinic. I hope that future research will help to clarify
the origin.

The earliest attribution to Rabindranath Tagore I found appeared in
2008 which is an extremely late date.

Here is a link to the Quote Investigator article:
https://quoteinvestigator.com/2026/05/13/children-time/

Feedback welcome
Garson O'Toole

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