--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having children is something we think we…" description: "\"Having children is something we think we ought to do because our parents did it, but when it is over the children are just other members of the human r..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/john-updike-396_child_having-children-is-something-we-think-we_3160553.png" --- # Having children is something we think we ought to do… ![“Having children is something we think we ought to do because our parents did it, but when it is over the children are just other members of the human race, rather disappointingly.” quote by John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/john-updike-396_child_having-children-is-something-we-think-we_3160553.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/john-updike-396_child_having-children-is-something-we-think-we_3160553.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e72/john-updike-396_child_having-children-is-something-we-think-we_3160553.png) > “Having children is something we think we ought to do because our parents did it, but when it is over the children are just other members of the human race, rather disappointingly.” [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. We often follow parental expectations without questioning their relevance, only to realize each child is an individual, not a continuation of tradition. **In simple terms:** Parents' expectations can clash with children's individuality. Key Takeaway Question assumptions about family duty. Themes family expectations individuality Mood reflective thoughtful Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - parenting decisions - career choices - cultural traditions Key Concepts existentialism social conditioning Questions to Reflect On - Do you follow traditions blindly? - How can you honor both heritage and individuality? A Different Perspective Assuming duty may ignore personal autonomy. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-just/) [Having children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-children/) [Human race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/human-race/) [Humans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humans/) [Members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/members/) [Ought Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought-parents-5711059/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) [Parents Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents-did/) [Race](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/race/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Having children just puts the whole world into perspective. 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You should know that more than anyone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colleen-oakes/children-are-not-just-children-in-neverland-wendy-darling-you-should/) [Colleen Oakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colleen-oakes/) > [The miracle of children is that we just dont know how they will change, or who they will become.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-kennedy-moore/the-miracle-of-children-is-that-we-just-dont-know-how-they-will/) [Eileen Kennedy-Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-kennedy-moore/) > [I think whether you've got children or not you're just more aware of others as you get out of your 20s.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-watts/i-think-whether-you-ve-got-children-or-not-you-re-just-more-aware-of/) [Naomi Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-watts/) > [“A person can't pick up they children and just squeeze them to which-a-way they wants them to be.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carson-mccullers/a-person-can-t-pick-up-they-children-and-just-squeeze-them-to-which-a/) [Carson McCullers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carson-mccullers/) > [Love your friends' kids, even if you don't want or like children. Just do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roxane-gay/love-your-friends-kids-even-if-you-don-t-want-or-like-children-just/) [Roxane Gay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roxane-gay/) > [“The miracle of children is that we just don’t know how they will change or who they will become.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eileen-kennedy-moore/the-miracle-of-children-is-that-we-just-don-t-know-how-they-will/) [Eileen Kennedy-Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eileen-kennedy-moore/) > [Children are just so special that everything they do is special.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jordyn-woods/children-are-just-so-special-that-everything-they-do-is-special/) [Jordyn Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jordyn-woods/) > [I don't have any children. I just have a cat, to my parents' dismay.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenna-bush/i-don-t-have-any-children-i-just-have-a-cat-to-my-parents-dismay/) [Jenna Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenna-bush/) > [I love children. I just don't know if I'm ready to have kids. I feel like I have more time. Kids are cute, you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-schilling/i-love-children-i-just-don-t-know-if-i-m-ready-to-have-kids-i-feel/) [Taylor Schilling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-schilling/) > [“Only mothers can’t say they don’t want their children and just go away.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agatha-christie/only-mothers-can-t-say-they-don-t-want-their-children-and-just-go-away/) [Agatha Christie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agatha-christie/) > [To work with children anywhere is just plain fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dale-murphy/to-work-with-children-anywhere-is-just-plain-fun/) [Dale Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dale-murphy/) > [What we want to help children with is, just because you feel sad or happy or depressed doesn't mean that is who you are.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goldie-hawn/what-we-want-to-help-children-with-is-just-because-you-feel-sad-or/) [Goldie Hawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goldie-hawn/) ## More by John Updike > [Life is a roller coaster, you have your ups and downs unless you fall off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/life-is-a-roller-coaster-you-have-your-ups-and-downs-unless-you-fall/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Children are not a zoo of entertainingly exotic creatures, but an array of mirrors in which the human predicament leaps out at us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/children-are-not-a-zoo-of-entertainingly-exotic-creatures-but-an/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I assume my stance, and take back the club, low, slowly; at the top, my eyes fog over, and my joints dip and swirl…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-assume-my-stance-and-take-back-the-club-low-slowly-at-the-top-my/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The New England spirit does not seek solutions in a crowd; raw light and solitariness are less dreaded than welcomed as enhancers of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-new-england-spirit-does-not-seek-solutions-in-a-crowd-raw-light/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [I imagine most of that stuff on the information highway is roadkill anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/i-imagine-most-of-that-stuff-on-the-information-highway-is-roadkill/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [Families, doing everything for each other out of imagined obligation and always getting in each other's way, what a tangle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/families-doing-everything-for-each-other-out-of-imagined-obligation/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The fucking world is running out of gas.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-fucking-world-is-running-out-of-gas/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [The theme of old age doesn't seem to fascinate Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-updike/the-theme-of-old-age-doesn-t-seem-to-fascinate-hollywood/) [John Updike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-updike/) > [“The mind cannot fall asleep as long as it watches itself. 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