From My Commonplace Book | The Hardest Condition of Boyhood

An entertaining thought about raising boys

Occasionally, I hope to share a quote and a few thoughts from my commonplace book. I started one a few years ago, and I have really enjoyed having a spot to revisit memorable and beautiful quotes.

“One of the hardest conditions of boyhood is the almost continuous strain put upon the powers of invention by the constant and harassing necessity for explanations of every natural act.” — Booth Tarkington, Penrod

As a family, we appreciated this sentiment from Booth Tarkington’s book, Penrod. Well, maybe as the parents of two boys, Leon and I appreciated it more. Who else regularly questions their sons, “What were you thinking?!?” Maybe not to them personally, but it has at least crossed your mind. Our children, boys or girls, certainly keep us on our toes!

Illustration by Gordon Grant (1914), Wikimedia Commons

Have you found an inspiring or amusing quote in your reading recently? Share it in the comments!