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You Can Tame A Stallion, But You Can’t Teach A Donkey To Run

I have lively, happy, energetic boys, and I love it. They run around, they laugh, they are full of joy and life and certainly keep my on my toes. My three year old is especially adventurous and curious, and I credit chasing after him for my quick weight loss after each pregnancy.

perfect love

Not everyone likes these qualities in little boys (or girls), and some are rather vocal about their opinion. I was recently at church with my three year old, in the narthex, where parents usually stay with their children to prevent any noise from disturbing other worshipers. My son was hopping around and laughing with other children, and a woman who didn’t need to be in this specific area was clucking her tongue at our kids. I could have tried to keep him quiet by yelling at him, but I didn’t want to, and our lovely priests don’t want us to either (they find the chatter and laughter of children to be sweet and have encouraged us moms to stop segregating ourselves in the outer section, but out of respect we still stay there with our boisterous kids).

My uncle saw my frustration at this woman who was frowning at us and complaining, and he said that he was very energetic and lively as a child too. My grandmother would have him sit down in church like our sons, but out of boredom he would still try to talk to people or would fidget and wiggle around (the service is two hours long!). Another mother told my grandmother that her son was badly behaved, and her own son was perfectly disciplined. “Look at how he sits there quietly, without a peep, his hands folded in his lap. My son is perfect.”

My grandma fired back, “You can tame a stallion, but you can’t teach a donkey to run.”

My sons are stallions with high spirits, and they can certainly be tamed into gentlemanly behavior (when required), but I’d rather have children who are a little too talkative and energetic than a child who lacks vibrancy and spirit any day of the week.

I also didn’t know my grandmother was so spicy…go grandma!

You can tame a stallion, but you can’t teach a donkey to run. ~Panayiota Moutopoulos




  • Such a wise women with wise words I love that saying

  • I think my mom kinda falls into that lady’s clucking category, so I’m trying to figure out why she ever wanted six kids. LOL Sometimes I think people forget what it’s like to be a kid.

  • Donna

    My mom was the same as Liz’… in church we HAD to be well behaved. I’m more in the middle. 🙂 I love your Grandma’s saying!

  • Heather!

    I have never heard that before, but it’s perfect! My mom always said she didn’t want her kids to be jellyfish. I think she was looking for a saying like this!

  • Jenn

    Go grandma go! We run into the same sort of thing as we look for a new church. For some reason the small country churches around here don’t believe in a nursery for the babies. They just say “oh we don’t mind the noise we’re used to it.” Well, I’M not used to it and can’t focus on the sermon when my toddler wants me to read her a book, show me what she’s coloring, or decorate my arm with stickers. Just sayin’

  • I have a couple of stallions too!

  • Penelope

    Lol, but it’s sweet they say they don’t mind the noise 🙂 Our priest says “Don’t take the babies out if they cry, they want to hear the sermon too!”…it’s very sweet. But I know other people who can’t hear it definitely don’t appreciate it.

  • LOL! LOVE IT! Nothing like Yiayia to defend her boys!

  • Rachel at managedmoms.com

    I love this post and I’m here to tell you that my daughter was the exact same way as a little one. Some folks would frown and some said rude things to me, but a lot of other thoughtful people told me that I would love these qualities as she got older. They were right! She is now 11 years old and is very self-sufficient. Just this weekend, she had a big role in our community theatre’s Christmas Carol production and they did 5 shows. She is super tired today, but was up and at em this AM ready for school and ready for another big event that she has tonight. That spirit and high energy has been channeled into some good stuff. So congratulations on having high energy intelligent kids and great job to you and to your Grandma for understanding and supporting those qualities that actually end up taking them far in life! And your Priests do sound lovely! That is great!

  • I agree totally!

  • Such an great story and too many people are quick to pass judgement when it comes to parenting. If they worried half as much about their own children as they do those of others, perhaps we would all be better off!

  • I love your grandma! LOL That’s a much more dignified than I would have given that lady!

  • Maryann

    how true!

  • I think children need to be lively! Go to your grandma!!

  • Mellisa

    LOL! That is a great saying and I totally agree.

  • … and some nasty ladies are the donkeys backside 😉

  • Isn’t that the truth! Go grandma.

  • Billie

    Love it! Your Grandma sure is spicy. Mine has caught us off guard a few times with zingers like those too.

  • My son is full of energy! Kids are going to be kids. Many forget that they were kids once, too. 🙂

  • I have 3 young highly spirited stallions (sons) myself and man, I absolutely love this quote from your grandma. I wish I had her around when we got glares at church too when my 1-year old was having trouble sitting through a very long Ash Wednesday mass in a very crowded Catholic church. New fan here from SITS, love your simple and colorful blog design as well.

  • LOL love that saying. So true.

  • So very true!