Big Think

Question: Has raising five children helped you run the House Democrats?

Nancy Pelosi: Well, raising the family I think is the most challenging and daunting task of all. And I say to all parents, "Thank you and congratulations for what you are doing." Because it is challenging and it looks beautiful and there is tremendous joy and fulfillment associated with it--but it is constant and it is a task.

And we want to respect the individuality of our children, and that can be challenging as well.

And so what I learned from raising my family of five children, all very close in age, was that the discipline--I mean discipline for me, not them--the discipline, the diplomacy, the sense of organization and just the spirit of making it fun, are very important to any endeavor that you engage in; certainly when you are working with hundreds of very individual people here.

But it is both very exciting challenges, but nothing prepared me better for being Speaker of the House than raising my five children.

Recorded on: June 24, 2008