"Children are our second chance to have a great parent-child relationship"
About this Quote
The subtext is distinctly therapeutic-but also moralistic, in a way that fits Schlessinger's broader brand. "Second chance" is redemption language. It suggests that repairing the past isn't only a personal healing project; it's an ethical task performed in public, through daily choices. There's also a subtle risk embedded in the framing: it can turn children into instruments of adult repair, recruited to solve a parent's old loneliness or to audition for the love the parent didn't get. In the best reading, it's about breaking cycles. In the worst, it's about outsourcing self-worth to a child.
Context matters: Schlessinger rose as a blunt talk-radio relationship authority, often emphasizing personal accountability and traditional family roles. This aphorism distills that worldview into one neat sentence: your childhood may explain you, but it doesn't excuse you. Your kid becomes the test.
Quote Details
| Topic | Parenting |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Schlessinger, Laura. (2026, January 16). Children are our second chance to have a great parent-child relationship. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/children-are-our-second-chance-to-have-a-great-107491/
Chicago Style
Schlessinger, Laura. "Children are our second chance to have a great parent-child relationship." FixQuotes. January 16, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/children-are-our-second-chance-to-have-a-great-107491/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"Children are our second chance to have a great parent-child relationship." FixQuotes, 16 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/children-are-our-second-chance-to-have-a-great-107491/. Accessed 4 Feb. 2026.



