Observations on human behavior play a big part in Fulghum's work. The lives of the Fulghum children are mentioned with a kind of wistful sadness, and one can tell that the author misses those days when the children were little. Robert Fulghum has used the essays to express childhood dreams, hopes, experiences, and regrets. Although the author never thought of collecting the essays for publication, the literary agent encouraged it and 'All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things' was born. The mother, a literary agent, contacted Fulghum and asked if there were more things he'd written. One day, a child's mother found one of the author's essays in the boy's backpack. The fundamental rules of life, such as sharing, washing hands and playing fair began to find their way into elementary schools.

Soon, the essays were traveling from one person to the next, making their way across the country. The pieces entertained and inspired people. The thoughts or essays were written for self expression and as pieces to be given to family and friends or shared with the author's Unitarian congregation. The author started writing random thoughts, observations, memories, and hopes many years ago with no plan to publish. 'All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Uncommon Thoughts on Common Things' by Robert Fulghum is series of personal essays on a wide variety of topics.

Robert fulghum kindergarten poster