"The parent knows instinctively that if they're working and setting an example for their child that means that child is more likely to be in school, more likely to stay out of trouble and more likely to complete their education"
About this Quote
The sentence also carries a quiet transactional subtext about deservingness. Working parents don’t just earn wages; they earn legitimacy. The child becomes the proof-of-purchase: if the parent complies with the work ethic, society gets a kid who is “in school,” “out of trouble,” and credentialed. That cascading “more likely… more likely… more likely…” reads like a risk-management memo, not a portrait of childhood. It turns education into an outcome to be engineered and trouble into an individual behavioral choice, sidestepping the upstream forces - neighborhood safety, school funding, health, housing stability, childcare access - that can make “setting an example” feel like a luxury.
Context matters: Engler’s political brand was built in the era when welfare reform and “personal responsibility” became bipartisan currency. This quote fits that moment, where work requirements were framed as compassion for children rather than austerity for parents. It’s persuasive because it offers voters a story with heroes and levers: good parents work, good kids thrive, government nudges. What gets left out is the possibility that parents can work hard and still be trapped - and that structural repair, not just role modeling, is what keeps kids in school.
Quote Details
| Topic | Parenting |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Engler, John. (2026, January 17). The parent knows instinctively that if they're working and setting an example for their child that means that child is more likely to be in school, more likely to stay out of trouble and more likely to complete their education. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-parent-knows-instinctively-that-if-theyre-47113/
Chicago Style
Engler, John. "The parent knows instinctively that if they're working and setting an example for their child that means that child is more likely to be in school, more likely to stay out of trouble and more likely to complete their education." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-parent-knows-instinctively-that-if-theyre-47113/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"The parent knows instinctively that if they're working and setting an example for their child that means that child is more likely to be in school, more likely to stay out of trouble and more likely to complete their education." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/the-parent-knows-instinctively-that-if-theyre-47113/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.
