The parent must act with reference to the child, but the child must act with reference to himself and the outer world. That is the essential difference. The child has no important function to perform in relation to his parents. His function is to grow in wisdom and stature, and so long as he does so a healthy parental instinct is satisfied.
Source: On Education, especially in early childhood, 1926, Pt. 2: Education of character, chap. 11: Affection and Sympathy
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