---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: if you'd ever had a grown-up daughter…"
description: "\"if you'd ever had a grown-up daughter you'd know that by comparison a bucking steer is easy to manage. And as to knowing what goes on inside her - well..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/anonymous-1_children_if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-yo_1716648.jpg"
---

#  if you'd ever had a grown-up daughter you'd know that by…

![“if you'd ever had a grown-up daughter you'd know that by comparison a bucking steer is easy to manage. And as to knowing what goes on inside her - well, it's much better to pretend you're the simple, innocent old fool she almost certainly takes you for.” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/anonymous-1_children_if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-yo_1716648.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/anonymous-1_children_if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-yo_1716648.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/anonymous-1_children_if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-yo_1716648.jpg)

> “if you'd ever had a grown-up daughter you'd know that by comparison a bucking steer is easy to manage. And as to knowing what goes on inside her - well, it's much better to pretend you're the simple, innocent old fool she almost certainly takes you for.”

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The speaker suggests that managing a rebellious adult daughter is harder than handling a stubborn animal, and that feigning simplicity can be a protective strategy.

**In simple terms:** Dealing with adult children can be challenging; sometimes acting naive helps.

Key Takeaway

Treat adult children with patience and strategic simplicity.

Themes

patience communication parenting generational gaps strategy

Mood

frustrated thoughtful cautious

Type

advice observational

When to use this quote

- Parent‑child conflict
- life transitions
- interpersonal misunderstandings

Key Concepts

Power dynamics emotional intelligence family roles

Questions to Reflect On

- When is it better to be honest versus playing the fool?
- How can parents set boundaries without losing respect?

A Different Perspective

Pretending naiveté may backfire if honesty is needed.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Comparison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comparison/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Fool](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fool/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/)

## Related quotes

> [“You must hang onto the scraps of the bucking moment as if your sanity and life depended on it - because actually they do.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/augusten-burroughs/you-must-hang-onto-the-scraps-of-the-bucking-moment-as-if-your-sanity/)

[Augusten Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/augusten-burroughs/)

> [I think there's always a call for people who are bucking the norm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-picciotto/i-think-there-s-always-a-call-for-people-who-are-bucking-the-norm/)

[Guy Picciotto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-picciotto/)

> [I'll be bucking it to county fair.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-strait/i-ll-be-bucking-it-to-county-fair/)

[George Strait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-strait/)

> [I hope I don't have to buck the system. But if it requires bucking, I will do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/todd-rokita/i-hope-i-don-t-have-to-buck-the-system-but-if-it-requires-bucking-i/)

[Todd Rokita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/todd-rokita/)

> [Change isn't easy. Bucking tradition is even harder.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-tarlov/change-isn-t-easy-bucking-tradition-is-even-harder/)

[Jessica Tarlov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-tarlov/)

> [One must steer, not talk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-must-steer-not-talk/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [It is difficult to steer a parked car, so get moving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-is-difficult-to-steer-a-parked-car-so-get-moving/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You have brain on your head,you have feet on your shoes,you can steer on yourself at any direction you choose. You're on your own,you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-have-brain-on-your-head-you-have-feet-on-your-shoes-you-can-steer/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You have brains in your head.You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any DIRECTION you choose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-have-brains-in-your-head-you-have-feet-in-your-shoes-you-can-2/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Personality begins where comparison ends.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/personality-begins-where-comparison-ends/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man... It is the comparison that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/pride-gets-no-pleasure-out-of-having-something-only-out-of-having/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Comparison is a disease, one of the greatest diseases. We are taught from the very beginning to compare ourselves with others. Each individual is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/comparison-is-a-disease-one-of-the-greatest-diseases-we-are-taught/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Envy is ever joined with the comparing of a man's self; and where there is no comparison, no envy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/envy-is-ever-joined-with-the-comparing-of-a-man-s-self-and-where/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The best comparison I can make for you is that you are like my breath. I hope it never leaves me!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-best-comparison-i-can-make-for-you-is-that-you-are-like-my-breath/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Never worry about the delay of your success compared to others, because construction of a palace takes more time than an ordinary building.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/never-worry-about-the-delay-of-your-success-compared-to-others/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Anonymous

> [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/scrabble-the-game-is-available-in-braille-that-s-a-nice-fact-this/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Everyone needs someone to love, and I choose you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/everyone-needs-someone-to-love-and-i-choose-you/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“THIS tale of my sore-troubled life I write,    To thank the God of nature, who conveyed    My soul to me, and with such care…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/this-tale-of-my-sore-troubled-life-i-write-to-thank-the-god-of-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Put on my J's and dance the whole night away Im naughty by nature like Im hip-hop hooray With my hands in the sky,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/put-on-my-j-s-and-dance-the-whole-night-away-im-naughty-by-nature/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Me.. I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

[Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More Children quotes

> [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/)

[Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/)

> [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/)

[Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/)

> [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/)

[Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/)

> [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/)

[Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/)

> [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/)

[Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/)

> [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/)

[Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/)

> [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/)

[Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/)

> [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/)

[Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/)

> [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/)

[Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/)

> [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/)

[Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/)

> [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/)

[Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/)

> [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/)

[Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/)

> [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/)

[Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/)

[Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "if you'd ever had a grown-up daughter you'd know that by comparison a bucking steer is easy to manage. And as to knowing what goes on inside her - well, it's much better to pretend you're the simple, innocent old fool she almost certainly takes you for.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Anonymous"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-you-d-know-that-by-comparison-a/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Children"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-you-d-know-that-by-comparison-a/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/anonymous-1_children_if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-yo_1716648.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/anonymous-1_children_if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-yo_1716648.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0b3/anonymous-1_children_if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-yo_1716648.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“if you'd ever had a grown-up daughter you'd know that by comparison a bucking steer is easy to manage. And…” — Anonymous",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Anonymous",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "if you'd ever had a grown-up...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-you-d-know-that-by-comparison-a/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-d-ever-had-a-grown-up-daughter-you-d-know-that-by-comparison-a/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
