--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: ~Before you have kids, when you're on a…" description: "\"~Before you have kids, when you're on a plane and there's a screaming kid, all you can think is, Give me earplugs! As soon as I became a mom, though, I..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mariska-hargitay-5252_asking_before-you-have-kids-when-you-re-on-a-pl_1634088.jpg" --- # ~Before you have kids, when you're on a plane and there's… ![“~Before you have kids, when you're on a plane and there's a screaming kid, all you can think is, Give me earplugs! As soon as I became a mom, though, I got it. You find yourself asking, 'What can I do? You want me to hold him?' Because you think about the time your kids was screaming, and there…” quote by Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mariska-hargitay-5252_asking_before-you-have-kids-when-you-re-on-a-pl_1634088.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mariska-hargitay-5252_asking_before-you-have-kids-when-you-re-on-a-pl_1634088.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6f6/mariska-hargitay-5252_asking_before-you-have-kids-when-you-re-on-a-pl_1634088.jpg) > “~Before you have kids, when you're on a plane and there's a screaming kid, all you can think is, Give me earplugs! As soon as I became a mom, though, I got it. You find yourself asking, 'What can I do? You want me to hold him?' Because you think about the time your kids was screaming, and there was the one parent who looked at you and smiled. And that compassion was everything.~” [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Parents often realize that empathy replaces irritation when they experience their own child's distress. **In simple terms:** Kids' cries teach compassion. Key Takeaway Shift focus from self to child. Themes parenting empathy perspective compassion Mood reflective empathetic Type advice personal narrative When to use this quote - air travel - parenting - public spaces - childcare - stress management Key Concepts metacognition emotional intelligence Questions to Reflect On - How can you practice empathy in stressful moments? - What small actions can calm a crying child? A Different Perspective Compassion may be hard to maintain in noisy, chaotic environments. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Compassion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/compassion/) [Finding yourself](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/finding-yourself/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Planes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/planes/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Something inside Clary cracked and broke, and words came pouring out. 'What do you want me to tell you? The truth? 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It just doesn’t inspire the same warm and fuzzy feelings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-mead/do-you-want-me-to-call-you-celery-stick-instead-of-cupcake-or-honey/) [Richelle Mead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-mead/) > [I try not to laugh at the fact that even when she’s drunk, she has a hard time saying it. “Where do you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-sorensen/i-try-not-to-laugh-at-the-fact-that-even-when-she-s-drunk-she-has-a/) [Jessica Sorensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-sorensen/) > [Son--they say there isn't any royalty in this country, but do you want me to tell you how to be king of the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/son-they-say-there-isn-t-any-royalty-in-this-country-but-do-you-want/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I hated to bat against Drysdale. 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You want me to let you walk out of here and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/paul-edgecomb-what-do-you-want-me-to-do-john-i-ll-do-it-you-want-me/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) ## More by Mariska Hargitay > [You survived the abuse, you’re going to survive the recovery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/you-survived-the-abuse-you-re-going-to-survive-the-recovery/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [I think God runs the show. Completely. Life proves it every day: He runs the show](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/i-think-god-runs-the-show-completely-life-proves-it-every-day-he-runs/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [It's very difficult leaving the house anytime with my baby at home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/it-s-very-difficult-leaving-the-house-anytime-with-my-baby-at-home/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [Sexual assault and domestic violence are difficult things to talk about. 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Life has so much more meaning now.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/i-have-a-more-developed-sense-of-my-priorities-life-has-so-much-more/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [I have a nest egg, and I don't buy above my means.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/i-have-a-nest-egg-and-i-don-t-buy-above-my-means/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [Being fearless means busting down those walls of fear and being who you are, not who someone else thinks you are. People like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/being-fearless-means-busting-down-those-walls-of-fear-and-being-who/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [In life you have two choices. You can laugh or you can cry. You have to laugh, you have to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/in-life-you-have-two-choices-you-can-laugh-or-you-can-cry-you-have-to/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [Golf made me feel like a loser. So I dismissed it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/golf-made-me-feel-like-a-loser-so-i-dismissed-it/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) > [Fifty years ago my Mother stood on this stage accepting this award; She was fortunate enough to have my Dad with her. 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Out of self-preservation, I focus on being grateful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariska-hargitay/there-s-so-much-that-you-can-get-mad-about-out-of-self-preservation-i/) [Mariska Hargitay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) [Explore all 102 Mariska Hargitay quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariska-hargitay/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. 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