--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When you have children, it's like having…" description: "\"When you have children, it's like having your heart beating outside your chest. You can drive yourself crazy wanting to protect them and make sure that..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/kevin-griffin-42394_chests_when-you-have-children-it-s-like-having_3004181.jpg" --- # When you have children, it's like having your heart… ![“When you have children, it's like having your heart beating outside your chest. You can drive yourself crazy wanting to protect them and make sure that nothing harms them. It's a feeling of vulnerability that you can't get around sometimes.” quote by Kevin Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/kevin-griffin-42394_chests_when-you-have-children-it-s-like-having_3004181.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/kevin-griffin-42394_chests_when-you-have-children-it-s-like-having_3004181.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2b1/kevin-griffin-42394_chests_when-you-have-children-it-s-like-having_3004181.jpg) > “When you have children, it's like having your heart beating outside your chest. You can drive yourself crazy wanting to protect them and make sure that nothing harms them. It's a feeling of vulnerability that you can't get around sometimes.” [Kevin Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-griffin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He likens caring for children to feeling your heart outside your chest, emphasizing deep vulnerability and protective instinct. **In simple terms:** Caring for kids feels like your heart is outside your body. Key Takeaway Protect and nurture with compassion. Themes parenthood vulnerability protectiveness Mood empathetic thoughtful Type personal philosophical When to use this quote - New parents - child safety - emotional coaching Key Concepts Emotional attachment parental instinct Questions to Reflect On - How can parents balance protection and freedom? - What does vulnerability teach about love? A Different Perspective Over‑protectiveness can hinder child independence. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Feelings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feelings/) [Harm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harm/) [Heart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart/) [Heart beat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-beat/) [Vulnerability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vulnerability/) ## Related quotes > [You're working on being a father, so that is something that when you experience it you'll understand the profundity of wanting to protect something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-keitel/you-re-working-on-being-a-father-so-that-is-something-that-when-you/) [Harvey Keitel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-keitel/) > [“Wanting to feel safe all of the time can also lead to wanting to protect against emotional upset—the concern with “emotional safety” somewhat unique…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-m-twenge/wanting-to-feel-safe-all-of-the-time-can-also-lead-to-wanting-to/) [Jean M. Twenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-m-twenge/) > [“I can feel that photo of Anna staring at me from sixty years ago, and I can’t help myself from wanting to protect her,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kendare-blake/i-can-feel-that-photo-of-anna-staring-at-me-from-sixty-years-ago-and/) [Kendare Blake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kendare-blake/) > [“Asuka...you're really cute. When I look at you...I start wanting to protect you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aya-kanno/asuka-you-re-really-cute-when-i-look-at-you-i-start-wanting-to/) Aya Kanno > [What worries me though, is that after all those victories people don't see me as a human being anymore. I am not a machine,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/what-worries-me-though-is-that-after-all-those-victories-people-don-t/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [I put my hand on my chest. I can feel my heart beating. My heart is working. I'm pleased. I'm still alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aya-kito/i-put-my-hand-on-my-chest-i-can-feel-my-heart-beating-my-heart-is/) [Aya Kito](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aya-kito/) > [As the day gives way to night...I miss you having by my side...My heart is singing song to say...I miss you more than words…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-the-day-gives-way-to-night-i-miss-you-having-by-my-side-my-heart/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“When you let people into the inner sanctum of your life, you risk having them see the heart of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/when-you-let-people-into-the-inner-sanctum-of-your-life-you-risk/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I wouldnt mind having my heart broken because it would mean that I had that much feeling connected to somebody. And that would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-field/i-wouldnt-mind-having-my-heart-broken-because-it-would-mean-that-i/) [Sally Field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-field/) > [“If you want to be in love, you have to accept that you run the risk of having your heart broken in such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-mason/if-you-want-to-be-in-love-you-have-to-accept-that-you-run-the-risk-of-2/) [Carol Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-mason/) > [“What good is having the heart of a lion if you cannot roar?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-chadwick/what-good-is-having-the-heart-of-a-lion-if-you-cannot-roar/) [Elizabeth Chadwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-chadwick/) > [It's my contention that there is no sincere path a human being can take without breaking his or her heart...so it can be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-whyte/it-s-my-contention-that-there-is-no-sincere-path-a-human-being-can/) [David Whyte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-whyte/) > [“When you love someone ... truly love them, friend or lover, you lay your heart open to them. You give them a part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherrilyn-kenyon/when-you-love-someone-truly-love-them-friend-or-lover-you-lay-your/) [Sherrilyn Kenyon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherrilyn-kenyon/) > [“If you want to be in love, you have to accept that you run the risk of having your heart broken in such a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-mason/if-you-want-to-be-in-love-you-have-to-accept-that-you-run-the-risk-of/) [Carol Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-mason/) > [“the best way to avoid having your heart broken was to pretend you don’t have one.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-lockhart/the-best-way-to-avoid-having-your-heart-broken-was-to-pretend-you-don/) [E. Lockhart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-lockhart/) ## More by Kevin Griffin > [Happiness does not come from the things that we have but the abandoning of things that we cling to, by letting go of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-griffin/happiness-does-not-come-from-the-things-that-we-have-but-the/) [Kevin Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-griffin/) > [The spiritual experience isn’t one of filling ourselves up— with either religious or intellectual beliefs—but of emptying ourselves so that we can experience what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-griffin/the-spiritual-experience-isn-t-one-of-filling-ourselves-up-with/) [Kevin Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-griffin/) > [I wake up early enough every morning to have some alone time. I have an app called Simply Being that's made for meditation. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-griffin/i-wake-up-early-enough-every-morning-to-have-some-alone-time-i-have/) [Kevin Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-griffin/) > [That perfect day, that magic moment that we're all waiting for, is right now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-griffin/that-perfect-day-that-magic-moment-that-we-re-all-waiting-for-is/) [Kevin Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-griffin/) > [I have about four different endeavors I'm going after right now. They all excite me in different ways. I'm all about keeping as many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-griffin/i-have-about-four-different-endeavors-i-m-going-after-right-now-they/) [Kevin Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-griffin/) > [Biggest lesson? 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There's just no better moment in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-griffin/seeing-my-children-in-the-morning-as-they-come-down-from-their/) [Kevin Griffin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-griffin/) [Explore all 10 Kevin Griffin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-griffin/) ## More Chests quotes > [The recurrent laryngeal nerve - which runs from the head to the voice box - goes all the way down into the chest, loops…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-recurrent-laryngeal-nerve-which-runs-from-the-head-to-the-voice/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [You can do all them push-ups to pump up your chest, I got a 12 gauge Mossberg to pump up your chest, Have you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-jackson/you-can-do-all-them-push-ups-to-pump-up-your-chest-i-got-a-12-gauge/) [Curtis Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-jackson/) > [For my workout, I'm up at 4am. 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If he is looking at my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/when-i-talk-to-a-man-i-can-always-tell-what-he-s-thinking-by-where-he/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I felt that I could swim for miles, out into the ocean: a desire for freedom, an impulse to move, tugged at me as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-cusk/i-felt-that-i-could-swim-for-miles-out-into-the-ocean-a-desire-for/) [Rachel Cusk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-cusk/) > [I'm just more content with myself. Like, if I've got something to say, I want to get it off of my chest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-durant/i-m-just-more-content-with-myself-like-if-i-ve-got-something-to-say-i/) [Kevin Durant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-durant/) > [I imagine a soul is a little perfect crystal egg floating in your chest. Somewhere deeper than where they put your heart. Somewhere so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rapp/i-imagine-a-soul-is-a-little-perfect-crystal-egg-floating-in-your/) [Adam Rapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rapp/) > [It is like having a blanket that is too small for the bed, you pull the blanket up to keep your chest warm, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mourinho/it-is-like-having-a-blanket-that-is-too-small-for-the-bed-you-pull/) [Jose Mourinho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mourinho/) > [I suddenly dreamt that I picked up the revolver and aimed it straight at my heart my heart, and not my head; and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/i-suddenly-dreamt-that-i-picked-up-the-revolver-and-aimed-it-straight/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) > [Thought subsides when you pet your dog or you have a purring cat on your chest. 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