--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most children - I know I did when I was a…" description: "\"Most children - I know I did when I was a kid - fantasize another set of parents. Or fantasize no parents. They don't tell their real parents about tha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/maurice-sendak-1273_children_most-children-i-know-i-did-when-i-was-a_566349.jpg" --- # Most children - I know I did when I was a kid - fantasize… ![“Most children - I know I did when I was a kid - fantasize another set of parents. Or fantasize no parents. They don't tell their real parents about that - you don't want to tell Mom and Dad. Kids lead a very private life. And I was a typical child, I think. I was a liar.” quote by Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/maurice-sendak-1273_children_most-children-i-know-i-did-when-i-was-a_566349.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/maurice-sendak-1273_children_most-children-i-know-i-did-when-i-was-a_566349.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e0d/maurice-sendak-1273_children_most-children-i-know-i-did-when-i-was-a_566349.jpg) > “Most children - I know I did when I was a kid - fantasize another set of parents. Or fantasize no parents. They don't tell their real parents about that - you don't want to tell Mom and Dad. Kids lead a very private life. And I was a typical child, I think. I was a liar.” [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children often imagine alternate families or the absence of parents, keeping these fantasies secret from their real caregivers. **In simple terms:** Kids imagine different parents and hide it. Key Takeaway Acknowledge children's inner worlds. Themes childhood imagination family dynamics secrecy identity Mood reflective empathetic Type observational psychological When to use this quote - parent‑child conversations - therapy sessions - creative writing - school counseling - family therapy Key Concepts psychology developmental Questions to Reflect On - What might a child gain by sharing their imagined family? - How can adults create safe spaces for such disclosures? A Different Perspective Kids may fear judgment or rejection if they reveal these thoughts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dad/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Liar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liar/) [Liars](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liars/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom/) [Mom and dad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mom-and-dad/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Private life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/private-life/) [Real parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-parents/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) ## Related quotes > [Most children - I know I did when I was a kid - fantasize another set of parents. Or fantasize no parents. They don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/most-children-i-know-i-did-when-i-was-a-kid-fantasize-another-set-of-2/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [Lovers, children, heroes, none of them do we fantasize as extravagantly as we fantasize our parents.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francine-du-plessix-gray/lovers-children-heroes-none-of-them-do-we-fantasize-as-extravagantly/) [Francine du Plessix Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francine-du-plessix-gray/) > [When I was a kid, I would fantasize about my own funeral.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noah-baumbach/when-i-was-a-kid-i-would-fantasize-about-my-own-funeral/) [Noah Baumbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noah-baumbach/) > [I have a strong feeling about interesting people in space exploration. . . . And the only way it's going to happen is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-lucas/i-have-a-strong-feeling-about-interesting-people-in-space-exploration/) [George Lucas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-lucas/) > [I don't think there's any harm at all in allowing a kid to fantasize. In fact, I think to stop people from fantasizing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-k-rowling-2/i-don-t-think-there-s-any-harm-at-all-in-allowing-a-kid-to-fantasize/) [J. K. Rowling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-k-rowling-2/) > [I've never tried to find my real parents. I'm very grateful to my mum and dad for adopting me - they're completely incredible people.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-stevens/i-ve-never-tried-to-find-my-real-parents-i-m-very-grateful-to-my-mum/) [Dan Stevens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-stevens/) > [There's nothing secret about it. Everyone knows that I am waiting for my real parents, the king and queen, to come restore me to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meg-cabot/there-s-nothing-secret-about-it-everyone-knows-that-i-am-waiting-for/) [Meg Cabot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meg-cabot/) > [“I sulked into the living room and sat on the couch with my back turned away from the enemies who said they were my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-jean-sovern/i-sulked-into-the-living-room-and-sat-on-the-couch-with-my-back/) Megan Jean Sovern > [“Grady wanted so much not to care that Willow was dying. If she had been a drug addict or a prostitute, someone unworthy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-jakubowski/grady-wanted-so-much-not-to-care-that-willow-was-dying-if-she-had/) Nicole Jakubowski > [“It’s tough to lose one parent, but to lose two—in a murder/suicide no less! But it’s OK, soon after the incident I found out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/it-s-tough-to-lose-one-parent-but-to-lose-two-in-a-murder-suicide-no/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [“Why do people have this thing about their roots?' Klinsman asked Karen when the laughter subsided. ‘Is it really that important?’ 'Only if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-mcclure/why-do-people-have-this-thing-about-their-roots-klinsman-asked-karen/) Ken McClure > [“So does that mean your real parents didn’t want you?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-isaacson/so-does-that-mean-your-real-parents-didn-t-want-you/) [Walter Isaacson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-isaacson/) > [When I was little, I knew that I was not adopted, but I actually imagined and hoped that I was, and that my real…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-steinem/when-i-was-little-i-knew-that-i-was-not-adopted-but-i-actually/) [Gloria Steinem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-steinem/) > [I'm actually not making fun of my real parents. I've taken stereotypical traits of my real parents, my aunts, my uncles and parents of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lilly-singh/i-m-actually-not-making-fun-of-my-real-parents-i-ve-taken/) [Lilly Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lilly-singh/) > [“deathAloneness has been my constant companion in life. I lost early the people that I loved: first when my young and unmarried biological mother…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-dhyan-giten/deathaloneness-has-been-my-constant-companion-in-life-i-lost-early/) [Swami Dhyan Giten](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-dhyan-giten/) ## More by Maurice Sendak > [I never thought of Bumble-Ardy in that way. But I still have that same deep feeling for children who are in dire trouble. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-never-thought-of-bumble-ardy-in-that-way-but-i-still-have-that-same/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [I was a very sickly child. My parents were immigrants. They were not decorous. They were not discreet. They always thought I was gonna…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-was-a-very-sickly-child-my-parents-were-immigrants-they-were-not/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [The distinctions of fine art bore me to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/the-distinctions-of-fine-art-bore-me-to-death/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [The fan mail I get from kids are asking me questions which they do not ask their mothers and fathers. Because if they had,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/the-fan-mail-i-get-from-kids-are-asking-me-questions-which-they-do/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [“May I ask what you have in your black leather bag with gold buckles?" "Everything." They were climbing a narrow staircase. 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It's no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/illustrations-have-as-much-to-say-as-the-text-the-trick-is-to-say-the/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [I'm a lucky buck.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-m-a-lucky-buck/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [I've convinced myself - I hope I'm right - that children despair of you if you don't tell them the truth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-ve-convinced-myself-i-hope-i-m-right-that-children-despair-of-you/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [It's no fun being lonely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/it-s-no-fun-being-lonely/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [It dawned on me that art was the way I could survive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/it-dawned-on-me-that-art-was-the-way-i-could-survive/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [I cry a lot because I miss people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-cry-a-lot-because-i-miss-people/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [You cannot write for children They're much too complicated. You can only write books that are of interest to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/you-cannot-write-for-children-they-re-much-too-complicated-you-can/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [All I liked to do when I was a kid was draw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/all-i-liked-to-do-when-i-was-a-kid-was-draw/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) > [I'm still as enamored and turned on by work as I was when I was young.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maurice-sendak/i-m-still-as-enamored-and-turned-on-by-work-as-i-was-when-i-was-young/) [Maurice Sendak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) [Explore all 262 Maurice Sendak quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maurice-sendak/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. 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. 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