Believe me, my children have more stamina than a power station.

The words of Robbie Coltrane—“Believe me, my children have more stamina than a power station.”—shine with humor yet carry the weight of an eternal truth. He speaks of the boundless energy of children, that tireless vitality that seems to flow from a well deeper than any earthly source. For parents, this truth arrives like a storm: the day may end, the body may grow weary, but children continue with the strength of an unquenchable flame. Their laughter, their questions, their mischief never seem to fade, reminding us that the vigor of youth is a force as mighty as fire itself.

The ancients knew this well. In Greek myth, Heracles as a child strangled serpents in his crib, a symbol of the terrifying and astonishing vitality that dwells even in the youngest of mortals. Roman writers often spoke of children as rivers in flood—unceasing, unstoppable, overflowing their banks with restless power. Coltrane, with his modern jest, echoes this ancient observation: that the stamina of children is greater than that of warriors, kings, or even machines. For where adults burn down like candles, children blaze on like eternal torches.

History also provides us with vivid examples. Napoleon Bonaparte, when a schoolboy, was said to study late into the night and rise before dawn, wearing out his teachers with his endless drive. His energy, even from youth, foretold the whirlwind he would one day become. Parents throughout the ages have marveled at such resilience in their children, both blessing and burden. Blessing, for it holds the promise of great deeds; burden, for it demands from parents patience and strength beyond what they thought they possessed.

The meaning, then, is twofold. First, Coltrane’s words remind us that children are not miniature adults but beings of their own rhythm and power. They are driven not by duty or fatigue but by curiosity, play, and the fierce instinct to explore. Second, his statement reveals the deep exhaustion of parenthood: for parents, the struggle is not only to guide children but to keep pace with them, to match their relentless energy without faltering. Truly, it is a heroic labor to raise a child—not merely teaching and protecting, but enduring.

Yet there is also hidden wisdom in the boundless energy of children. For their stamina is not only physical but spiritual. It reflects their refusal to be crushed by the burdens that weigh down adults. Where grown men and women yield to despair or exhaustion, children rise again and again, filled with wonder at the world. Their resilience teaches us that life is not to be endured only, but embraced. Their vitality is a mirror, reminding us of the wellspring of energy that once flowed within us, and can perhaps be rekindled.

The lesson for us is this: do not curse the endless energy of children, but learn from it. It is a gift, a reminder of the joy of being alive. Yes, it demands patience and strength, but it also inspires us to shed our weariness and see the world with their eyes—fresh, unbroken, inexhaustible. Parents must pace themselves, seeking rest when possible, but also must enter into the rhythm of their children, finding delight rather than only fatigue in their exuberance.

Therefore, let your actions be these: balance discipline with freedom, patience with laughter, exhaustion with joy. Accept that children’s vitality will surpass your own, and do not fight it with bitterness but channel it toward growth, learning, and play. Teach them to direct their energy with purpose, but also allow yourself to be uplifted by it, as a weary traveler draws strength from a rushing stream.

Thus, Robbie Coltrane’s words, though wrapped in jest, carry a timeless truth: the stamina of children surpasses even the might of machines, for it is fueled not by wires and circuits, but by the fire of life itself. Let parents remember this, not as a burden alone, but as a wonder—that in their children they see the endless, untiring force of humanity renewed with every generation.