--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having children is like having a bowling…" description: "\"Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.\" — Martin Mull" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/martin-mull-16804_bowling_having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling_242578.jpg" --- # Having children is like having a bowling alley installed… ![“Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.” quote by Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/martin-mull-16804_bowling_having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling_242578.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/martin-mull-16804_bowling_having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling_242578.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/martin-mull-16804_bowling_having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling_242578.jpg) > “Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.” [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Having children dramatically reshapes thoughts, constantly demanding attention and mental space. **In simple terms:** Kids flood your mind with constant activity. Key Takeaway Accept the chaos and cherish the growth. Themes parenthood mental load creativity Mood amused reflective Type humorous observational When to use this quote - parenting daily - career planning - creative projects - mental health management Key Concepts Neuroplasticity attention distribution Questions to Reflect On - How does parenthood change your thinking patterns? - What strategies help manage mental overload? A Different Perspective The mental strain can be overwhelming without support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bowling/) [Brain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/brain/) [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Having children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-children/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) ## Related quotes > [“Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-a-family-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-brain/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-a-family-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-head/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [It would be hilarious if I worked in a bowling alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/it-would-be-hilarious-if-i-worked-in-a-bowling-alley/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [I spent a lot of time bowling as a kid, mostly because I grew up in bowling alleys. They were kind of my playgrounds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-hardwick/i-spent-a-lot-of-time-bowling-as-a-kid-mostly-because-i-grew-up-in/) [Chris Hardwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-hardwick/) > [You know, the bowling alley doesn‘t seem to be improving my game. That‘s the one thing I have noticed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/you-know-the-bowling-alley-doesn-t-seem-to-be-improving-my-game-that/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [It is perhaps beside the point to remark that bowling alleys and supermarkets have nursery facilities, while schools and colleges and scientific laboratories and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/betty-friedan/it-is-perhaps-beside-the-point-to-remark-that-bowling-alleys-and/) [Betty Friedan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/betty-friedan/) > [I don't know a single Republican in Montana who would get in a fight in a bowling alley for John McCain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-schweitzer/i-don-t-know-a-single-republican-in-montana-who-would-get-in-a-fight/) [Brian Schweitzer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-schweitzer/) > [Some people throw a bit of their personality after their bad arguments, as if that might straighten their paths and turn them into right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/some-people-throw-a-bit-of-their-personality-after-their-bad/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Usually one must go to a bowling alley to meet a woman of your stature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gielgud/usually-one-must-go-to-a-bowling-alley-to-meet-a-woman-of-your-stature/) [John Gielgud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gielgud/) > [Few Americans have ever met their Congresspeople. They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [But my husband came from a small town and hardworking parents like I did, and I don't think we've lost that mind-set. We don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carrie-underwood/but-my-husband-came-from-a-small-town-and-hardworking-parents-like-i/) [Carrie Underwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carrie-underwood/) > [You ought to try surviving one of my family reunions. It's like having a bowling alley in your brain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edna-buchanan/you-ought-to-try-surviving-one-of-my-family-reunions-it-s-like-having/) [Edna Buchanan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edna-buchanan/) > [The struggle you see in the Republican Party today is the country club Republican versus the bowling alley Republican. Colin Powell brings us back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-du-pont/the-struggle-you-see-in-the-republican-party-today-is-the-country/) [Pete du Pont](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-du-pont/) > [We've played everywhere since I started The Licks. We've played arenas, clubs, school cafeterias and bowling alleys. It doesn't matter where the venue is;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliette-lewis/we-ve-played-everywhere-since-i-started-the-licks-we-ve-played-arenas/) [Juliette Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/juliette-lewis/) > [In most cases, the best strategy for a job interview is to be fairly honest, because the worst thing that can happen is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-most-cases-the-best-strategy-for-a-job-interview-is-to-be-fairly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Martin Mull > [Show business is just like high school, except you get paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/show-business-is-just-like-high-school-except-you-get-paid/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [Its hard to decide if TV makes morons out of everyone, or if it mirrors Americans who really are morons to begin with](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/its-hard-to-decide-if-tv-makes-morons-out-of-everyone-or-if-it/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [I was involved in the Great Folk Music scare back in the sixties, when it almost caught on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/i-was-involved-in-the-great-folk-music-scare-back-in-the-sixties-when/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [I kind of just lucked into and fell into the other profession. It was really just an outgrowth of the fact that when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/i-kind-of-just-lucked-into-and-fell-into-the-other-profession-it-was/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [Having a family is like having a bowling alley installed in your head.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-a-family-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-head/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [A cult following is a nice way of saying very few people like you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/a-cult-following-is-a-nice-way-of-saying-very-few-people-like-you/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [Around 1980, I went back to painting with a vengeance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/around-1980-i-went-back-to-painting-with-a-vengeance/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [I try to not get to the point where one is making wallpaper, or simply painting money. I want to make sure that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/i-try-to-not-get-to-the-point-where-one-is-making-wallpaper-or-simply/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [Never underestimate a child's ability to get into more trouble.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/never-underestimate-a-child-s-ability-to-get-into-more-trouble/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [Like a guide dog, paintings help you see.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/like-a-guide-dog-paintings-help-you-see/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [I think there are a lot of pictures to make. I sometimes question whether I'm even an artist or just a painter. To me,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/i-think-there-are-a-lot-of-pictures-to-make-i-sometimes-question/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [If the real world is orange juice, then art is like orange-juice concentrate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/if-the-real-world-is-orange-juice-then-art-is-like-orange-juice/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [Why be influenced by a person when you already are one?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/why-be-influenced-by-a-person-when-you-already-are-one/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [If there is some art involved, Id like it to be that it came through the cracks of daily work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/if-there-is-some-art-involved-id-like-it-to-be-that-it-came-through/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) > [I've been doing it all along, ever since I got out of art school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/i-ve-been-doing-it-all-along-ever-since-i-got-out-of-art-school/) [Martin Mull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) [Explore all 39 Martin Mull quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/) ## More Bowling quotes > [American society is now remarkably atomized. Political organizations have collapsed. In fact, it seems like even bowling leagues are collapsing. The left has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/american-society-is-now-remarkably-atomized-political-organizations/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [If you look hard enough, you can find race issues and racism in everything. I know people who say, 'See, I don't play pool…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chi-mcbride/if-you-look-hard-enough-you-can-find-race-issues-and-racism-in/) [Chi McBride](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chi-mcbride/) > [I guess bowling is pretty mechanical. It's kind of a natural motion, but you have to stick within those mechanics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mookie-betts/i-guess-bowling-is-pretty-mechanical-it-s-kind-of-a-natural-motion/) [Mookie Betts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mookie-betts/) > [The time I spend bowling with the white ball is a lot less than in Test cricket.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jofra-archer/the-time-i-spend-bowling-with-the-white-ball-is-a-lot-less-than-in/) [Jofra Archer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jofra-archer/) > [He has defined cricket in his fabulous, impeccable manner. He is to batting what Shane Warne is to bowling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richie-benaud/he-has-defined-cricket-in-his-fabulous-impeccable-manner-he-is-to/) [Richie Benaud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richie-benaud/) > [I go bowling, but I'm not very good!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reiss-nelson/i-go-bowling-but-i-m-not-very-good/) [Reiss Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reiss-nelson/) > [Bowling, I like bowling. I've been getting into this bowling thing. It's kinda fun.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/queen-latifah/bowling-i-like-bowling-i-ve-been-getting-into-this-bowling-thing-it-s/) [Queen Latifah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/queen-latifah/) > [Growing up in Rochdale, I think, all the kids in my street, pretty much every boy was playing cricket. I had four brothers as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sajid-javid/growing-up-in-rochdale-i-think-all-the-kids-in-my-street-pretty-much/) [Sajid Javid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sajid-javid/) > [In most cases, the best strategy for a job interview is to be fairly honest, because the worst thing that can happen is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/in-most-cases-the-best-strategy-for-a-job-interview-is-to-be-fairly/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Few Americans have ever met their Congresspeople. They don't see them at the grocery store; they don't meet them at the bowling alley. They're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-shapiro/few-americans-have-ever-met-their-congresspeople-they-don-t-see-them/) [Ben Shapiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-shapiro/) > [“I've tucked and tried to roll after that first spread-eagle spin but soon discovered the universal truth that bowling-ball-shaped objects bounce downhill much faster…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-white/i-ve-tucked-and-tried-to-roll-after-that-first-spread-eagle-spin-but/) [Stephen White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-white/) > [At that speed, batsmen are almost trying to premeditate where the ball will be - they feel like they don't have time to react…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-anderson/at-that-speed-batsmen-are-almost-trying-to-premeditate-where-the-ball/) [James Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-anderson/) > [It would be hilarious if I worked in a bowling alley.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aubrey-plaza/it-would-be-hilarious-if-i-worked-in-a-bowling-alley/) [Aubrey Plaza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aubrey-plaza/) > [How to Piss Off A Woman : Tie her to the bed, describe all the erotic things you plan to do. Then go bowling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikhil-saluja/how-to-piss-off-a-woman-tie-her-to-the-bed-describe-all-the-erotic/) [Nikhil Saluja](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikhil-saluja/) > [“A bowling ball rolled through his head, diagonally from nape to temple; it paused and started back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vladimir-nabokov/a-bowling-ball-rolled-through-his-head-diagonally-from-nape-to-temple/) [Vladimir Nabokov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vladimir-nabokov/) [Browse all 385 Bowling quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bowling/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Martin Mull" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-brain/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Bowling" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-brain/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/martin-mull-16804_bowling_having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling_242578.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/martin-mull-16804_bowling_having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling_242578.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/816/martin-mull-16804_bowling_having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling_242578.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Having children is like having a bowling alley installed in your brain.” — Martin Mull", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Martin Mull", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-mull/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Having children is like having a...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-brain/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-mull/having-children-is-like-having-a-bowling-alley-installed-in-your-brain/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```