--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Fatherhood is asking your son to make up…" description: "\"Fatherhood is asking your son to make up a name rather than tell anybody who he is.\" — Bill Cosby" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/bill-cosby-720_asking_fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up_2430295.jpg" --- # Fatherhood is asking your son to make up a name rather… ![“Fatherhood is asking your son to make up a name rather than tell anybody who he is.” quote by Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/bill-cosby-720_asking_fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up_2430295.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/bill-cosby-720_asking_fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up_2430295.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/bill-cosby-720_asking_fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up_2430295.jpg) > “Fatherhood is asking your son to make up a name rather than tell anybody who he is.” [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Fatherhood involves encouraging a child's creativity rather than imposing identity. **In simple terms:** Encourage kids to create their own identity. Key Takeaway Let children define themselves. Themes parenting creativity identity self‑expression Mood thoughtful hopeful Type advice reflective When to use this quote - family discussions - teaching independence - creative play - conflict resolution Key Concepts developmental psychology self‑determination Questions to Reflect On - How can you support a child's self‑discovery? - What boundaries are needed for healthy identity formation? A Different Perspective Children may need guidance to channel imagination product. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fatherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fatherhood/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) ## Related quotes > [I keep asking my son about his cricket scores. I have worked hard for his passion for sports.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gurpreet-ghuggi/i-keep-asking-my-son-about-his-cricket-scores-i-have-worked-hard-for/) [Gurpreet Ghuggi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gurpreet-ghuggi/) > [Asking me to describe my son is like asking me to hold the ocean in a paper cup](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/asking-me-to-describe-my-son-is-like-asking-me-to-hold-the-ocean-in-a/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [If you really love your son, then make him leave home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/if-you-really-love-your-son-then-make-him-leave-home/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [“i am not a millionaire son " but i make my son become the , millionaire son. by jostalin”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-stalin/i-am-not-a-millionaire-son-but-i-make-my-son-become-the-millionaire/) [joseph stalin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-stalin/) > [“But a son—a son must make something of his mother if he is to make something of himself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lake-union-publishing/but-a-son-a-son-must-make-something-of-his-mother-if-he-is-to-make/) [Lake Union Publishing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lake-union-publishing/) > [Generations are as the days of toilsome mankind; death and birth are the vesper and the matin bells that summon mankind to sleep and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-carlyle/generations-are-as-the-days-of-toilsome-mankind-death-and-birth-are/) [Thomas Carlyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-carlyle/) > [It's a great joy but no test of love or commitment to take your son to a ball game. You really prove your credentials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-josephson/it-s-a-great-joy-but-no-test-of-love-or-commitment-to-take-your-son/) [Michael Josephson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-josephson/) > [Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/fatherhood-is-pretending-the-present-you-love-most-is-soap-on-a-rope/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Fatherhood is helping your children learn English as a foreign language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/fatherhood-is-helping-your-children-learn-english-as-a-foreign/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Fatherhood is telling your daughter that Michael Jackson loves all his fans, but has special feelings for the ones who eat broccoli.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/fatherhood-is-telling-your-daughter-that-michael-jackson-loves-all/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [My childhood should have taught me lessons for my own fatherhood, but it didn't because parenting can only be learned by people who have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/my-childhood-should-have-taught-me-lessons-for-my-own-fatherhood-but/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [You have given us something more than money, you have given us a lot of your sons, your children that were killed beside our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ibrahim-al-jaafari/you-have-given-us-something-more-than-money-you-have-given-us-a-lot/) Ibrahim al-Jaafari > [Of course you want your son, your children, to be proud of you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlize-theron/of-course-you-want-your-son-your-children-to-be-proud-of-you/) [Charlize Theron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlize-theron/) > [It is cruel for you to leave your daughter, so full of hopeand resolve, to suffer the humiliations of disfranchisement she already feels so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-b-anthony/it-is-cruel-for-you-to-leave-your-daughter-so-full-of-hopeand-resolve/) [Susan B. Anthony](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-b-anthony/) > [I believe it from the bottom of my heart, and your sons and daughters, too, can have the American dream come true.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-a-ribicoff/i-believe-it-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart-and-your-sons-and-daughters/) [Abraham A. Ribicoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-a-ribicoff/) ## More by Bill Cosby > [Guys standing around and talking about Spanish fly: 'You know anything about Spanish fly?' 'No, tell me about it.' Well there's this girl Crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/guys-standing-around-and-talking-about-spanish-fly-you-know-anything/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [You come to my comedy show to be entertained.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/you-come-to-my-comedy-show-to-be-entertained/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Pay off your student loan. Even if you don't have a job...Because when you finally get a job you're going to be one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/pay-off-your-student-loan-even-if-you-don-t-have-a-job-because-when/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Sex education may be a good idea in the schools, but I don't believe the kids should be given homework.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/sex-education-may-be-a-good-idea-in-the-schools-but-i-don-t-believe/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Civilization had too many rules for me, so I did my best to rewrite them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/civilization-had-too-many-rules-for-me-so-i-did-my-best-to-rewrite/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Dentists tell you not to pick your teeth with any sharp metal object. Then you sit in their chair and the first thing they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/dentists-tell-you-not-to-pick-your-teeth-with-any-sharp-metal-object/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [When a person has a gun, sometimes their mind clicks that this thing will win arguments and straighten people out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/when-a-person-has-a-gun-sometimes-their-mind-clicks-that-this-thing/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [The truth is that parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/the-truth-is-that-parents-are-not-really-interested-in-justice-they/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [“Parents are not really interested in justice. They just want quiet.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/parents-are-not-really-interested-in-justice-they-just-want-quiet/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [God has a sense of humor though and he must see funny things in us. He must also have some love. We're still here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/god-has-a-sense-of-humor-though-and-he-must-see-funny-things-in-us-he/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [When you become senile, you won't know it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/when-you-become-senile-you-won-t-know-it/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [I feel that in-person contact with people is the most important thing in comedy. While I'm up on stage, I can actually put myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/i-feel-that-in-person-contact-with-people-is-the-most-important-thing/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [It is a point of pride for the American male to keep the same size Jockey shorts for his entire life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/it-is-a-point-of-pride-for-the-american-male-to-keep-the-same-size/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [“The past is a ghost, the future is a dream, and all we ever have is now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/the-past-is-a-ghost-the-future-is-a-dream-and-all-we-ever-have-is-now/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [Suddenly, this romantic agony was enriched by a less romantic one: I had to go to the bathroom. Needless to say, I couldn't let…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/suddenly-this-romantic-agony-was-enriched-by-a-less-romantic-one-i/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) [Explore all 393 Bill Cosby quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-funny-people-still-ask-that-it/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Fatherhood is asking your son to make up a name rather than tell anybody who he is.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Bill Cosby" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up-a-name-rather-than-tell/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asking" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up-a-name-rather-than-tell/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/bill-cosby-720_asking_fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up_2430295.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/bill-cosby-720_asking_fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up_2430295.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/844/bill-cosby-720_asking_fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up_2430295.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Fatherhood is asking your son to make up a name rather than tell anybody who he is.” — Bill Cosby", "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": "Bill Cosby", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Fatherhood is asking your son to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up-a-name-rather-than-tell/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/fatherhood-is-asking-your-son-to-make-up-a-name-rather-than-tell/#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 } } ] } ```