--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Given a choice between hearing my…" description: "\"Given a choice between hearing my daughter say \"I'm pregnant\" or \"I used a condom\", most mothers would get up in the middle of the night and buy them h..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/joycelyn-elders-12167_children_given-a-choice-between-hearing-my-daught_2877887.png" --- # Given a choice between hearing my daughter say "I'm… ![“Given a choice between hearing my daughter say "I'm pregnant" or "I used a condom", most mothers would get up in the middle of the night and buy them herself.” quote by Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/joycelyn-elders-12167_children_given-a-choice-between-hearing-my-daught_2877887.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/joycelyn-elders-12167_children_given-a-choice-between-hearing-my-daught_2877887.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/552/joycelyn-elders-12167_children_given-a-choice-between-hearing-my-daught_2877887.png) > “Given a choice between hearing my daughter say "I'm pregnant" or "I used a condom", most mothers would get up in the middle of the night and buy them herself.” [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mothers instinctively protect their children, often taking drastic measures to ensure safety and health. **In simple terms:** Mothers act decisively to protect children. Key Takeaway Prioritize child safety and health. Themes parenthood protective instinct health sexual education maternal duty Mood protective determined concerned Type ethical social When to use this quote - healthcare - family counseling - education - policy advocacy Key Concepts maternal love ethical dilemmas social norms Questions to Reflect On - What drives a mother’s protective instinct? - How can society support maternal decisions? A Different Perspective Legal barriers may limit protective actions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Middle of the night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/middle-of-the-night/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mothers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mothers/) [Night](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/night/) [Pregnant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pregnant/) [Witty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/witty/) ## Related quotes > [The parents say, 'Can you talk to my daughter and say that it's OK? That she can have muscles?' They'll say, 'I show her…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-carter/the-parents-say-can-you-talk-to-my-daughter-and-say-that-it-s-ok-that/) [Michelle Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-carter/) > [I call my wife and daughter before every show and they say, 'Be funny.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nate-bargatze/i-call-my-wife-and-daughter-before-every-show-and-they-say-be-funny/) [Nate Bargatze](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nate-bargatze/) > [To my daughter I will say, ‘when the men come, set yourself on fire.’](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warsan-shire/to-my-daughter-i-will-say-when-the-men-come-set-yourself-on-fire/) [Warsan Shire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warsan-shire/) > [Mum and dad thought I was going to say I was pregnant. I said oh no, no, I've just been nominated for a Golden…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-george/mum-and-dad-thought-i-was-going-to-say-i-was-pregnant-i-said-oh-no-no/) [Melissa George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-george/) > [People always say that pregnant women have a glow. And I say it's because you're sweating to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-simpson/people-always-say-that-pregnant-women-have-a-glow-and-i-say-it-s/) [Jessica Simpson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-simpson/) > [There's little of the melancholy element in her, my lord: she is never sad but when she sleeps; and not ever sad then; for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/there-s-little-of-the-melancholy-element-in-her-my-lord-she-is-never/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [You know they say that pregnant women glow and their hair's wonderful? Well I never got to that bit. I just remember feeling sick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tanni-grey-thompson/you-know-they-say-that-pregnant-women-glow-and-their-hair-s-wonderful/) [Tanni Grey-Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tanni-grey-thompson/) > [I always tell my mom I don't have regular problems. I have problems, like, what type of girl is going to say they're pregnant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fetty-wap/i-always-tell-my-mom-i-don-t-have-regular-problems-i-have-problems/) [Fetty Wap](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fetty-wap/) > [If I want to wear a long flowing dress, someone will say I'm pregnant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/khloe-kardashian/if-i-want-to-wear-a-long-flowing-dress-someone-will-say-i-m-pregnant/) [Khloe Kardashian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/khloe-kardashian/) > [At her birthday, my seven-year-old daughter will say that she wants these big cakes and certain expensive toys as presents, and I can't say…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goran-ivanisevic/at-her-birthday-my-seven-year-old-daughter-will-say-that-she-wants/) [Goran Ivanisevic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goran-ivanisevic/) > [I hope I live a long life of public service and I tell my daughter to never say never.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laphonza-butler/i-hope-i-live-a-long-life-of-public-service-and-i-tell-my-daughter-to/) [Laphonza Butler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laphonza-butler/) > [They got special terms that they use when they're pregnant. They don't even say pregnant, got special words they use - I'm expecting. Expecting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-stine/they-got-special-terms-that-they-use-when-they-re-pregnant-they-don-t/) [Brad Stine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-stine/) > [“Which left me with the cheery knowledge that my father would wan tto spend time with me even if i were a cold, stiff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michele-jaffe/which-left-me-with-the-cheery-knowledge-that-my-father-would-wan-tto/) [Michele Jaffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michele-jaffe/) > [“Come on now,” Arankadash says, “I’m halfway through my pregnancy and you don’t see me whining about it.” “I thought there weren’t any child-bearers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kameron-hurley/come-on-now-arankadash-says-i-m-halfway-through-my-pregnancy-and-you/) [Kameron Hurley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kameron-hurley/) > [Condoms will break, but I can assure you that vows of abstinence will break more easily than condoms.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/condoms-will-break-but-i-can-assure-you-that-vows-of-abstinence-will/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) ## More by Joycelyn Elders > [The best contraceptive in the world is a good education.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/the-best-contraceptive-in-the-world-is-a-good-education/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Once I had a professor say to me, "You know you have as much education as a lot of white people." I answered, "Doctor,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/once-i-had-a-professor-say-to-me-you-know-you-have-as-much-education/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Handguns are a public health issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/handguns-are-a-public-health-issue/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [ \[On masturbation:\] I think that it is part of human sexuality, and perhaps it should be taught. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/on-masturbation-i-think-that-it-is-part-of-human-sexuality-and/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [I think we should have a very, very heavy tax on handguns and on bullets.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/i-think-we-should-have-a-very-very-heavy-tax-on-handguns-and-on/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [“We have a multiheaded dragon in our midst that for too long has been waging a domestic war on our young, our poor, our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/we-have-a-multiheaded-dragon-in-our-midst-that-for-too-long-has-been/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [... black women have always found that in the social order of things we're the least likely to be believed--by anyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/black-women-have-always-found-that-in-the-social-order-of-things-we/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [You can't keep an ignorant population healthy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/you-can-t-keep-an-ignorant-population-healthy/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Everybody's got to die from somethin'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/everybody-s-got-to-die-from-somethin/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [ \[We must\] deal with all of the contributing factors to gun violence as a whole, because it's like a leaky bucket - if you've… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/we-must-deal-with-all-of-the-contributing-factors-to-gun-violence-as/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [You can't educate people that are not healthy. But you certainly can't keep them healthy if they're not educated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/you-can-t-educate-people-that-are-not-healthy-but-you-certainly-can-t/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [As long as I was in Washington I never met anybody that I thought was good enough, who knew enough, or who loved enough…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/as-long-as-i-was-in-washington-i-never-met-anybody-that-i-thought-was/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [I came there as prime steak and now I feel like low-grade hamburger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/i-came-there-as-prime-steak-and-now-i-feel-like-low-grade-hamburger/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is about jobs and employment, education, the environment, and all of those things that go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joycelyn-elders/health-is-more-than-the-absence-of-disease-health-is-about-jobs-and/) [Joycelyn Elders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joycelyn-elders/) > [Health is more than absence of disease; it is about economics, education, environment, empowerment, and community. 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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. 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