--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wonder if that's the difference between…" description: "\"I wonder if that's the difference between fathers and mothers. I'm friends with people who have kids that are like 5 and under, and they're still in th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fd/jen-kirkman-2547_bonding_i-wonder-if-that-s-the-difference-betwee_423549.jpg" --- # I wonder if that's the difference between fathers and… ![“I wonder if that's the difference between fathers and mothers. I'm friends with people who have kids that are like 5 and under, and they're still in that intense mother-bonding phase. It might just be that. Because the dads haven't changed.” quote by Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fd/jen-kirkman-2547_bonding_i-wonder-if-that-s-the-difference-betwee_423549.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fd/jen-kirkman-2547_bonding_i-wonder-if-that-s-the-difference-betwee_423549.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1fd/jen-kirkman-2547_bonding_i-wonder-if-that-s-the-difference-betwee_423549.jpg) > “I wonder if that's the difference between fathers and mothers. I'm friends with people who have kids that are like 5 and under, and they're still in that intense mother-bonding phase. It might just be that. Because the dads haven't changed.” [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Suggests mothers stay in a bonding phase with young children, while fathers may not change similarly. **In simple terms:** Mothers stay bonded with young kids; fathers may not. Key Takeaway Acknowledge different parental bonding rhythms. Themes parenting gender roles family dynamics Mood thoughtful analytical Type observational psychological When to use this quote - early childhood - parent‑child activities - family counseling Key Concepts attachment theory social expectations Questions to Reflect On - How do fathers experience bonding? - What supports both parents equally? A Different Perspective Assuming fathers don't change can be limiting. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bonding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bonding/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Dads](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dads/) [Differences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/differences/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Fathers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fathers/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Intense](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intense/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wonder/) ## Related quotes > [“There is such a thing as crazy-mother bonding. . . . It happens when one realizes the other also has had a crazy mother,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minrose-gwin/there-is-such-a-thing-as-crazy-mother-bonding-it-happens-when-one/) Minrose Gwin > [Even if society dictates that men and women should behave in certain ways, it is fathers and mothers who teach those ways to children…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/even-if-society-dictates-that-men-and-women-should-behave-in-certain/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [If fathers were to be mothers, then there will never have a family of more than three.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurence-housman/if-fathers-were-to-be-mothers-then-there-will-never-have-a-family-of/) [Laurence Housman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurence-housman/) > [Babies need fathers as well as mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-hartley-brewer/babies-need-fathers-as-well-as-mothers/) [Julia Hartley-Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-hartley-brewer/) > [Unfortunately, some of the best fathers are mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-gardner/unfortunately-some-of-the-best-fathers-are-mothers/) [Chris Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-gardner/) > [No fathers or mothers think their own children ugly.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-de-cervantes/no-fathers-or-mothers-think-their-own-children-ugly/) [Miguel de Cervantes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-de-cervantes/) > [Fathers. Mothers. With all their caring and attention. They will f--- you up, every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/fathers-mothers-with-all-their-caring-and-attention-they-will-f-you/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Fathers and mothers are just people, which means they make mistakes. Don't hold that against them. Whatever flaws they may have, they created you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-borgnine/fathers-and-mothers-are-just-people-which-means-they-make-mistakes/) [Ernest Borgnine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-borgnine/) > [Whatever the era...one thing will never change: Fathers and mothers, if you have children, they must come first.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-bush/whatever-the-era-one-thing-will-never-change-fathers-and-mothers-if/) [Barbara Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-bush/) > [Fathers. Mothers. With all their caring and attention. They will fuck you up, every time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuck-palahniuk/fathers-mothers-with-all-their-caring-and-attention-they-will-fuck/) [Chuck Palahniuk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuck-palahniuk/) > [Never The Same All FATHERS are Men but not all MEN are Fathers. All MOTHERS are Women but not all WOMEN are Mothers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amoh-nketiah-dennis/never-the-same-all-fathers-are-men-but-not-all-men-are-fathers-all/) Amoh Nketiah Dennis > [Babies don't need fathers, but mothers do. Someone who is taking care of a baby needs to be taken care of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-heckerling/babies-don-t-need-fathers-but-mothers-do-someone-who-is-taking-care/) [Amy Heckerling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-heckerling/) > [Fathers and mothers have lost the idea that the highest aspiration they might have for their children is for them to be wise... specialized…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-bloom/fathers-and-mothers-have-lost-the-idea-that-the-highest-aspiration/) [Allan Bloom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-bloom/) > [I hope the fathers and mothers of little girls will look at them and say 'yes, women can.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dilma-rousseff/i-hope-the-fathers-and-mothers-of-little-girls-will-look-at-them-and/) [Dilma Rousseff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dilma-rousseff/) > [Contrary to all we hear about women and their empty-nest problem, it may be fathers more often than mothers who are pained by thechildren's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lillian-b-rubin/contrary-to-all-we-hear-about-women-and-their-empty-nest-problem-it/) [Lillian B. Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lillian-b-rubin/) ## More by Jen Kirkman > [The urge that most people feel to have kids is the exact same as the urge that I have to not have kids. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/the-urge-that-most-people-feel-to-have-kids-is-the-exact-same-as-the/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [“remember asking my mom when I was little if I could go live at this place in Boston called “The Home for Little Wanderers.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/remember-asking-my-mom-when-i-was-little-if-i-could-go-live-at-this/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [Couples without kids have each other, their friends, families, and Siri to talk to. It's not like they're quarantining themselves in an underground bunker,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/couples-without-kids-have-each-other-their-friends-families-and-siri/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [I used to make albums because I wasn't touring, and so I thought, "This is the best way for people to find out about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/i-used-to-make-albums-because-i-wasn-t-touring-and-so-i-thought-this/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [Eventually I'm going to be too old to be on camera, and I've been doing stand-up a long time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/eventually-i-m-going-to-be-too-old-to-be-on-camera-and-i-ve-been/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [I'm wired to be neurotic and loud and high-strung.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/i-m-wired-to-be-neurotic-and-loud-and-high-strung/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [I don't want to have kids and so I am not going to have kids. 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Not just that I don't want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/actually-my-friendships-are-changing-because-my-friends-have-kids-so/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [I don't like to joke about dating.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/i-don-t-like-to-joke-about-dating/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [As a woman of a certain age - and really, ever since I hit puberty and my baby-making parts were suddenly subject to public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jen-kirkman/as-a-woman-of-a-certain-age-and-really-ever-since-i-hit-puberty-and/) [Jen Kirkman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jen-kirkman/) > [I'm not like Woody Allen like, "Oh my god what's going to happen? Ooh Ooh Oohhh." I'm just high-strung. 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Didn't always feel that way, especially this morning when I couldn't find my other flip-flop and I'd been,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/you-grew-up-too-fast-baby-didn-t-always-feel-that-way-especially-this/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [ What's cool is that in the story of the movie \[The Hangover\] our characters are also really kind of getting to know each other… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-helms/what-s-cool-is-that-in-the-story-of-the-movie-the-hangover-our/) [Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-helms/) > [Nostalgia is also a trait of the organizations that I call lodges - everything from corporate cultures to religious sects. Their bonding power often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-james/nostalgia-is-also-a-trait-of-the-organizations-that-i-call-lodges/) [Jennifer James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-james/) > [Football spectators appreciate a bit of loyalty, and we're seeing that less and less. There are echelons of football, as in society, where some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-nichols/football-spectators-appreciate-a-bit-of-loyalty-and-we-re-seeing-that/) [Vincent Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-nichols/) > [Once we have conceived of time and space, once we have accepted their existence, then that implies that there is a structural order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/once-we-have-conceived-of-time-and-space-once-we-have-accepted-their/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [People do need a social license to go, "Ha ha ha," and have a good time. It's a strange thing. 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It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-e-smith/what-is-the-purpose-and-meaning-and-nature-of-sexual-intercourse-it/) [Janet E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-e-smith/) [Browse all 197 Bonding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bonding/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I wonder if that's the difference between fathers and mothers. I'm friends with people who have kids that are like 5 and under, and they're still in that intense mother-bonding phase. It might just be that. 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