---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When it comes down to it, I believe that…"
description: "\"When it comes down to it, I believe that, having made the decision to bring children into the world, I owe it to them to be as present as I can in thei..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_adulthood_when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that_2301984.jpg"
---

#  When it comes down to it, I believe that, having made the…

![“When it comes down to it, I believe that, having made the decision to bring children into the world, I owe it to them to be as present as I can in their daily lives and to try my best to stay alive until they've made it through to adulthood.” quote by Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_adulthood_when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that_2301984.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_adulthood_when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that_2301984.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_adulthood_when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that_2301984.jpg)

> “When it comes down to it, I believe that, having made the decision to bring children into the world, I owe it to them to be as present as I can in their daily lives and to try my best to stay alive until they've made it through to adulthood.”

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

## About This Quote

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

Choosing to have children carries a responsibility to be present and supportive throughout their growth.

**In simple terms:** Parents should stay engaged for their children.

Key Takeaway

Prioritize active parenting.

Themes

parenthood responsibility presence

Mood

thoughtful hopeful

Type

ethical philosophical

When to use this quote

- daily caregiving
- long‑term planning
- health maintenance
- emotional support

Key Concepts

ethics psychology family dynamics

Questions to Reflect On

- How do you maintain self‑care while being present for your children?
- What boundaries help sustain long‑term parental involvement?

A Different Perspective

Balancing personal well‑being with caregiving can be challenging.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Adulthood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adulthood/) [Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/alive/) [Believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe/) [Believe Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/believe-having-1069356/) [Best](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best/) [Bring](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bring/) [Bring Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bring-children-279839/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Daily](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily/) [Daily lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daily-lives/) [Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/decision/) [Down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/down/) [Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having/) [Having Decision](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-decision-907684/) [I believe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe/) [I believe that](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-believe-that/) [I can](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-can/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Lives](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lives/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Owe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/owe/) [Present](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/present/) [Stay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay/) [Stay Alive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stay-alive/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Through](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/through/) [Try](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/try/) [Until](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/until/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) [World Owe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-owe-707338/)

## Related quotes

> [“It is amazing how much both happiness and efficiency can be increased by the cultivation of an orderly mind, which thinks about a matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bertrand-russell/it-is-amazing-how-much-both-happiness-and-efficiency-can-be-increased/)

[Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bertrand-russell/)

> [But having made my decision as Commander-in-Chief based on what I am convinced is our national security interests, I will seek authorization for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/but-having-made-my-decision-as-commander-in-chief-based-on-what-i-am/)

[Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/)

> [Having made the decision to love, had I chosen life instead of death?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-bach/having-made-the-decision-to-love-had-i-chosen-life-instead-of-death/)

[Richard Bach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-bach/)

> [We live in a world of competing narratives. In the end, we have to decide for ourselves which is right. And having made that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alister-e-mcgrath/we-live-in-a-world-of-competing-narratives-in-the-end-we-have-to/)

[Alister E. McGrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alister-e-mcgrath/)

> [“There's nothing worse in the world than to owe and be beholden to anyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-mccourt/there-s-nothing-worse-in-the-world-than-to-owe-and-be-beholden-to/)

[Frank McCourt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-mccourt/)

> [ I think we should all earn our place in the world. \[...\] We owe the world something. We owe the world everything. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-vincent/i-think-we-should-all-earn-our-place-in-the-world-we-owe-the-world/)

[Rachel Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-vincent/)

> [“If you are lucky enough to have a full life, more than enough to eat, a place to feel safe, a chance for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-lucky-enough-to-have-a-full-life-more-than-enough-to-eat-a/)

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

> [“The world may not owe you anything but you owe yourself the world!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-darn/the-world-may-not-owe-you-anything-but-you-owe-yourself-the-world/)

[Kevin Darné](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-darn/)

> [Sergeant First Class 'Fox' Ballard took me in and taught me the way of the world. So I owe him and many others a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lloyd-austin/sergeant-first-class-fox-ballard-took-me-in-and-taught-me-the-way-of/)

[Lloyd Austin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lloyd-austin/)

> [We have one of the highest interest rates in the world, and we owe more money per capita than any other country. All we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pauline-hanson/we-have-one-of-the-highest-interest-rates-in-the-world-and-we-owe/)

[Pauline Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pauline-hanson/)

> [Everything I have in this world, I owe to the sport of boxing, and I won't ever forget that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-de-la-hoya/everything-i-have-in-this-world-i-owe-to-the-sport-of-boxing-and-i/)

[Oscar De La Hoya](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-de-la-hoya/)

> [“Here I am, proud as Greek god, and yet standing debtor to this blockhead for a bone to stand on! Cursed be that mortal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/here-i-am-proud-as-greek-god-and-yet-standing-debtor-to-this/)

[Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/)

> [“There's a difference between having the faith to believe and having the faith to receive. You have to create the space for God to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-maraboli/there-s-a-difference-between-having-the-faith-to-believe-and-having/)

[Steve Maraboli](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-maraboli/)

> [I believe in always having a lot of irons in the fire.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iliza-shlesinger/i-believe-in-always-having-a-lot-of-irons-in-the-fire/)

[Iliza Shlesinger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iliza-shlesinger/)

> [I do not believe having a baby is punishment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-west/i-do-not-believe-having-a-baby-is-punishment/)

[Allen West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-west/)

## More by Deborah Copaken Kogan

> [“Stories are how we make sense of our lives. To tell a story is to own it: to own the narrative thread to own…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/stories-are-how-we-make-sense-of-our-lives-to-tell-a-story-is-to-own/)

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

> [“I love this idea," Bruno says. "Of being broken but finding pleasure in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/i-love-this-idea-bruno-says-of-being-broken-but-finding-pleasure-in-it/)

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

> [“My truth she'd said to him. What the hell is truth anyway Two separate questions yes. But not wholly unrelated. For truth no matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/my-truth-she-d-said-to-him-what-the-hell-is-truth-anyway-two-separate/)

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

> [I'd always assumed that by 40 I'd have at least a modicum of stability - a steady income, an established career, a bountiful fullness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/i-d-always-assumed-that-by-40-i-d-have-at-least-a-modicum-of/)

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

> [I have an Emmy, but it's no big deal: work in TV news long enough, you eventually get one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/i-have-an-emmy-but-it-s-no-big-deal-work-in-tv-news-long-enough-you/)

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

> [“Because that was the problem, really, wasn’t it, with being human? You couldn’t just be, couldn’t just live and exist without dragging your feet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/because-that-was-the-problem-really-wasn-t-it-with-being-human-you/)

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

> [“Female readers, on the other hand, were unmoved by the book, one of them going so far as to give it the ultimate insult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/female-readers-on-the-other-hand-were-unmoved-by-the-book-one-of-them/)

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

> [When it comes to writers, I'm a huge fan of Ian McEwan. I've never taken a writing course, but reading and deconstructing his novels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/when-it-comes-to-writers-i-m-a-huge-fan-of-ian-mcewan-i-ve-never/)

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

> [“If I've learned anything in the twenty-five years that have transpired between graduation and today it is this: I am stronger than I thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/if-i-ve-learned-anything-in-the-twenty-five-years-that-have/)

[Deborah Copaken Kogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

[Explore all 10 Deborah Copaken Kogan quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/)

## More Adulthood quotes

> [Age is an accumulation of life and loss. Adulthood is a series of lines crossed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellen-goodman/age-is-an-accumulation-of-life-and-loss-adulthood-is-a-series-of/)

[Ellen Goodman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellen-goodman/)

> [People often say that you should never work with child actors. I think that's all wrong. Children have not had the imagination kicked out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-cage/people-often-say-that-you-should-never-work-with-child-actors-i-think/)

[Nicolas Cage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-cage/)

> [Two things suck about becoming an adult male - paying taxes and getting a finger in your butt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-code/two-things-suck-about-becoming-an-adult-male-paying-taxes-and-getting/)

[Guy Code](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-code/)

> [You can only pretend for so long before reality hits and you realize he/she is not who you thought or what you truly want.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abhishek-tiwari/you-can-only-pretend-for-so-long-before-reality-hits-and-you-realize/)

[Abhishek Tiwari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhishek-tiwari/)

> [If I were entering adulthood now instead of in the environment of fifty years ago, I would choose a career that kept me in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/if-i-were-entering-adulthood-now-instead-of-in-the-environment-of/)

[Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/)

> [“English: "Being an adult doesn't mean killing the child we once were; it means being able to protect him." Česky: „Být dospělým neznamená zabít…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebasti-n-wortys/english-being-an-adult-doesn-t-mean-killing-the-child-we-once-were-it/)

[Sebastián Wortys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebasti-n-wortys/)

> [“I wondered what a man I had encountered the day before on the plane en route to Chicago's O'Hare airport would have made of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-moss/i-wondered-what-a-man-i-had-encountered-the-day-before-on-the-plane/)

[Robert Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-moss/)

> [“Sometimes your kids will say the nastiest things, won't they, Rose? You want to ask,'Whose child is this?'" Rose chuckled. "But usually, they're just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/sometimes-your-kids-will-say-the-nastiest-things-won-t-they-rose-you/)

[Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/)

> [No one, it has been said, will ever look at the Moon in the same way again. More significantly can one say that no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/no-one-it-has-been-said-will-ever-look-at-the-moon-in-the-same-way/)

[Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/)

> [Being an adult is the ability to postpone a want for the sake of a family need.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hogan/being-an-adult-is-the-ability-to-postpone-a-want-for-the-sake-of-a/)

[Chris Hogan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hogan/)

> [“one Secret of Adulthood is “Never start a sentence with the words ‘No offense’”? “And”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/one-secret-of-adulthood-is-never-start-a-sentence-with-the-words-no/)

[Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/)

> [In their youth, mortals behave more like nymphs. Adulthood seems impossibly distant, let alone the enfeeblement of old age. But ponderously, inevitably, it overtakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-mull/in-their-youth-mortals-behave-more-like-nymphs-adulthood-seems/)

[Brandon Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-mull/)

> [Public schools were designed as the great equalizers of our society - the place where all children could have access to educational opportunities to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-napolitano/public-schools-were-designed-as-the-great-equalizers-of-our-society/)

[Janet Napolitano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-napolitano/)

> [“Yet GenX'er teens didn't slow down--they were just as likely to drive, drink alcohol, and date as their Boomer peers and more likely to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-m-twenge/yet-genx-er-teens-didn-t-slow-down-they-were-just-as-likely-to-drive/)

[Jean M. Twenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-m-twenge/)

> [“The entrepreneurs are only about my age, probably younger, but they don't seem so. Their tailored clothes and unbending hairdos, their clipboards and laser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-baume/the-entrepreneurs-are-only-about-my-age-probably-younger-but-they-don/)

[Sara Baume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-baume/)

[Browse all 651 Adulthood quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/adulthood/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "When it comes down to it, I believe that, having made the decision to bring children into the world, I owe it to them to be as present as I can in their daily lives and to try my best to stay alive until they've made it through to adulthood.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Deborah Copaken Kogan"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that-having-made-the-decision-to/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Adulthood"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that-having-made-the-decision-to/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_adulthood_when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that_2301984.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_adulthood_when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that_2301984.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/87c/deborah-copaken-kogan-40640_adulthood_when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that_2301984.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“When it comes down to it, I believe that, having made the decision to bring children into the world, I owe…” — Deborah Copaken Kogan",
                "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": "Deborah Copaken Kogan",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-copaken-kogan/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "When it comes down to it,...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that-having-made-the-decision-to/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-copaken-kogan/when-it-comes-down-to-it-i-believe-that-having-made-the-decision-to/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
