--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I have a very strong paternal streak. I'm…" description: "\"I have a very strong paternal streak. I'm a born father...I get such enjoyment out of being with children. Now they are enjoyable little things. They r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0a/david-bowie-508_children_i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m_3177785.jpg" --- # I have a very strong paternal streak. I'm a born… ![“I have a very strong paternal streak. I'm a born father...I get such enjoyment out of being with children. Now they are enjoyable little things. They really are. I like their kind of humor. You can stuff all your punk bands, give me three children instead.” quote by David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0a/david-bowie-508_children_i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m_3177785.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0a/david-bowie-508_children_i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m_3177785.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0a/david-bowie-508_children_i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m_3177785.jpg) > “I have a very strong paternal streak. I'm a born father...I get such enjoyment out of being with children. Now they are enjoyable little things. They really are. I like their kind of humor. You can stuff all your punk bands, give me three children instead.” [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A strong desire to nurture children can be expressed through playful, caring actions, even if one’s lifestyle is unconventional. **In simple terms:** Enjoying kids is a natural, nurturing instinct. Key Takeaway Embrace your paternal side regardless of external expectations. Themes family creativity identity Mood affectionate inspired Type personal reflective When to use this quote - raising children - mentor roles - creative collaborations Key Concepts parenting self‑expression artistic identity Questions to Reflect On - How does your artistic life influence your parenting? - What values do you want to pass to your children? A Different Perspective Balancing personal passions with parental responsibilities can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Enjoyment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/enjoyment/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Little things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-things/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Paternal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/paternal/) [Punk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/punk/) ## Related quotes > [Anyone who's ever had the misfortune of seeing me interact with house pets knows I have a wickedly strong paternal instinct bordering on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-goad/anyone-who-s-ever-had-the-misfortune-of-seeing-me-interact-with-house/) [Jim Goad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-goad/) > [I'm not saying I'm a family guy, but maybe that's what people see in me: some kind of paternal quality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-edgerton/i-m-not-saying-i-m-a-family-guy-but-maybe-that-s-what-people-see-in/) [Joel Edgerton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-edgerton/) > [“I am of old and young, of the foolish as much as the wise, Regardless of others, ever regardful of others, Maternal as well…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-whitman/i-am-of-old-and-young-of-the-foolish-as-much-as-the-wise-regardless-2/) [Walt Whitman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-whitman/) > [Shahid is a paternal figure to me. He's almost like a teacher. All my life, I've learned so much by watching him. I can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ishaan-khatter/shahid-is-a-paternal-figure-to-me-he-s-almost-like-a-teacher-all-my/) [Ishaan Khatter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ishaan-khatter/) > [All innocent mechanisms are muddied up with experience. Children become less and less translucent. Layers of guile and suspicion grow. It's the law of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-hall/all-innocent-mechanisms-are-muddied-up-with-experience-children/) [Sarah Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-hall/) > [“It is too late for me to feel paternal now. Whatever inside me that might once have been capable of nurturing my child had…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-bowden/it-is-too-late-for-me-to-feel-paternal-now-whatever-inside-me-that/) [Oliver Bowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-bowden/) > [I am very strongly paternal. My paternal instincts need to be acted upon. My love needs a release. I love everyone. I don't express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-johar/i-am-very-strongly-paternal-my-paternal-instincts-need-to-be-acted/) [Karan Johar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-johar/) > [“Coert raised a brow. “Threatening criminal charges against asshole animal abusers is being paternal?” “Taking care of your baby, no matter what form she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-ashley/coert-raised-a-brow-threatening-criminal-charges-against-asshole/) [Kristen Ashley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-ashley/) > [I'm pretty paternal.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-rabbitt/i-m-pretty-paternal/) [Eddie Rabbitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-rabbitt/) > [“There are even a number of present-day human cultures in which collective fatherhood is practised, as for example among the Barí Indians. According to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/there-are-even-a-number-of-present-day-human-cultures-in-which/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [The paternal hearth, the rallying-place of the affections.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/washington-irving/the-paternal-hearth-the-rallying-place-of-the-affections/) [Washington Irving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/washington-irving/) > [My paternal poppa, Alec, was a taxi driver and swimming coach. He taught all his grandchildren how to swim and loved all kinds of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellyse-perry/my-paternal-poppa-alec-was-a-taxi-driver-and-swimming-coach-he-taught/) [Ellyse Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellyse-perry/) > [Baseball always gets credit for the foundational part of masculinity - the father thing. The eternal game of backyard catch, 'Field of Dreams', the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-moehringer/baseball-always-gets-credit-for-the-foundational-part-of-masculinity/) [J. R. Moehringer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-moehringer/) > [ When my brother, Todd \[Fisher\], was born my father was already with Elizabeth \[Taylor\]. I was 19 or 20 when I first spent a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-fisher/when-my-brother-todd-fisher-was-born-my-father-was-already-with/) [Carrie Fisher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-fisher/) > [When I was born, my father was governor of Arkansas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-clinton/when-i-was-born-my-father-was-governor-of-arkansas/) [Chelsea Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-clinton/) ## More by David Bowie > [I don't crave applause. I'm not one of those guys who comes alive on stage. I'm much more alive at home, I think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-don-t-crave-applause-i-m-not-one-of-those-guys-who-comes-alive-on/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [No more free steps to heaven.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/no-more-free-steps-to-heaven/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I'm not sure whether it is me changing my mind, or whether I lie a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-not-sure-whether-it-is-me-changing-my-mind-or-whether-i-lie-a-lot/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I do some kind of work, whether writing or painting or recording, on a daily basis. And it's so essential that when I'm involved…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-do-some-kind-of-work-whether-writing-or-painting-or-recording-on-a/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [To not be modest about it, you'll find that with only a couple of exceptions, most of the musicians that I've worked with have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/to-not-be-modest-about-it-you-ll-find-that-with-only-a-couple-of/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I went mainstream in a major way with the song "Let's Dance." And what I found I had done was put a box around…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-went-mainstream-in-a-major-way-with-the-song-let-s-dance-and-what-i/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [“Keep your 'lectric eye on me babe Put your ray gun to my head Press your space face close to mine, love Freak out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/keep-your-lectric-eye-on-me-babe-put-your-ray-gun-to-my-head-press/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I'm in awe of the universe, but I don't necessarily believe there's an intelligence or agent behind it. I do have a passion for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-m-in-awe-of-the-universe-but-i-don-t-necessarily-believe-there-s-an/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [TV has eaten up everything else, and Warhol films are all that are left, which is fabulous. Pork could become the next I Love…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/tv-has-eaten-up-everything-else-and-warhol-films-are-all-that-are/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [“My brain hurt like a warehouse It had no room to spare I had to cram so many things to store everything in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/my-brain-hurt-like-a-warehouse-it-had-no-room-to-spare-i-had-to-cram/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I suppose for me as an artist it wasn't always just about expressing my work; I really wanted, more than anything else, to contribute…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-suppose-for-me-as-an-artist-it-wasn-t-always-just-about-expressing/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [... And these children that you spit on as they try to change their worlds are immune to your consultations. They're quite aware of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/and-these-children-that-you-spit-on-as-they-try-to-change-their/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I think the first song I ever wrote ... was called "Can't Help Thinking About Me." That's an illuminating little piece, isn't it?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-think-the-first-song-i-ever-wrote-was-called-can-t-help-thinking/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I've come to the realizations that I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing half the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-ve-come-to-the-realizations-that-i-have-absolutely-no-idea-what-i-m/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) > [I never really felt like a rock singer or a rock star or whatever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-never-really-felt-like-a-rock-singer-or-a-rock-star-or-whatever/) [David Bowie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) [Explore all 508 David Bowie quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/) ## 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": "I have a very strong paternal streak. I'm a born father...I get such enjoyment out of being with children. Now they are enjoyable little things. They really are. I like their kind of humor. You can stuff all your punk bands, give me three children instead.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "David Bowie" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m-a-born-father-i-get-such/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m-a-born-father-i-get-such/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0a/david-bowie-508_children_i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m_3177785.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0a/david-bowie-508_children_i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m_3177785.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f0a/david-bowie-508_children_i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m_3177785.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I have a very strong paternal streak. I'm a born father...I get such enjoyment out of being with children…” — David Bowie", "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": "David Bowie", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-bowie/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I have a very strong paternal...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m-a-born-father-i-get-such/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-bowie/i-have-a-very-strong-paternal-streak-i-m-a-born-father-i-get-such/#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 } } ] } ```