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Reader question: Please explain this sentence: “Children are not cookie cutters.” Cookie cutters? My comments: Okay, children are not cookie cutters. What follows is that you should not try to mold children into the same young man or woman, of similar weight, height and temperament. You should not even try, of course. You cannot. Anyways, that’s what it means when someone says children are not cookie cutters, meaning they are not the same – each cute and lovely, though, in their own way. Cookie cutters, you see, are metal or plastic moulds or molds (American spelling) that are used industrially to cut cookies out of flattened dough. Use the same cookie cutter and you can make sure all the cookies produced are of the same size and shape. Hence the idea of the cookie cutter, an invention that suits the assembly line, i.e. mass production perfectly. Metaphorically speaking, when we liken people or things to cookie cutters, we mean to point out that they’re all identical in appearance – lacking variety, individuality, freshness etc. Back to children being children, it is obviously important for any parent or teacher to remember that children are not cookies to be made out of the assembly line. So do not try to mold them into the same young women and men. All right, here are “cookie cutter” examples in the media: | 
