---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There comes a time in every mother’s life…"
description: "\"“There comes a time in every mother’s life when it becomes very clear that your child is a much better person than you are, but you’re not allowed to s..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/melanie-gideon-35500_better-person_there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-lif_2182087.jpg"
---

#  There comes a time in every mother’s life when it becomes…

![“There comes a time in every mother’s life when it becomes very clear that your child is a much better person than you are, but you’re not allowed to say this because then where would you go from there—admitting such a thing to a nine-year-old?” quote by Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/melanie-gideon-35500_better-person_there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-lif_2182087.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/melanie-gideon-35500_better-person_there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-lif_2182087.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/melanie-gideon-35500_better-person_there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-lif_2182087.jpg)

> ““There comes a time in every mother’s life when it becomes very clear that your child is a much better person than you are, but you’re not allowed to say this because then where would you go from there—admitting such a thing to a nine-year-old?””

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

A mother realizes her child surpasses her in goodness, yet feels she cannot acknowledge it without losing her parental role.

**In simple terms:** A mother sees her child as better but can’t admit it.

Key Takeaway

Recognize and celebrate your child’s strengths without feeling threatened.

Themes

parenthood humility selfworth

Mood

reflective empathetic

Type

advice personal

When to use this quote

- family dinner
- parent‑child conversation
- teaching moments

Key Concepts

growth comparison identity

Questions to Reflect On

- How can you honor your child’s virtues while maintaining confidence?
- What language lets you praise without feeling diminished?

A Different Perspective

Admitting admiration may feel like conceding authority.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Admitting Thing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/admitting-thing-4718732/) [Better person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-person/) [Child Better](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child-better-506218/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Mother Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother-life/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

## Related quotes

> [Nobody knows how to raise your child better than you do. They're yours. Use some instincts. Be willing to listen to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nobody-knows-how-to-raise-your-child-better-than-you-do-they-re-yours/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [An educated child is better equipped to handle all the challenges of life, from finding work to avoiding diseases like HIV/AIDS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-bush/an-educated-child-is-better-equipped-to-handle-all-the-challenges-of/)

[Laura Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-bush/)

> [My mother is so full of joy and life. I am her child. And that is better than being the child of anyone else…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maya-angelou/my-mother-is-so-full-of-joy-and-life-i-am-her-child-and-that-is/)

[Maya Angelou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maya-angelou/)

> [Every parent wants their child to do better than they do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-doocy/every-parent-wants-their-child-to-do-better-than-they-do/)

[Steve Doocy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-doocy/)

> [“Every time we replace anger with empathy and caring, we help a child become better prepared to make wise decisions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-fay/every-time-we-replace-anger-with-empathy-and-caring-we-help-a-child/)

[Jim Fay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-fay/)

> [Would it be better if I'd married a Negro woman? Would they treat my child any better? Erect fewer barriers?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammy-davis-jr/would-it-be-better-if-i-d-married-a-negro-woman-would-they-treat-my/)

[Sammy Davis, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammy-davis-jr/)

> [To build a child is better than to repair a man](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/akinrole-l-dolapo/to-build-a-child-is-better-than-to-repair-a-man/)

[Akinrole L Dolapo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/akinrole-l-dolapo/)

> [I wish I'd known what type of learner I was as a child - I could have done better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-kendall/i-wish-i-d-known-what-type-of-learner-i-was-as-a-child-i-could-have/)

[Liz Kendall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-kendall/)

> [That awkward moment when you see a 10 year old child with a better phone than yours.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/that-awkward-moment-when-you-see-a-10-year-old-child-with-a-better/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [“if you want to understand your child better then see through the child's eye.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/revathi-sankaran/if-you-want-to-understand-your-child-better-then-see-through-the/)

[Revathi Sankaran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/revathi-sankaran/)

> [Success isn't ideal for every child. If we think a child would do better in a different school, whether it's a specialized program or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eva-moskowitz/success-isn-t-ideal-for-every-child-if-we-think-a-child-would-do/)

[Eva Moskowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eva-moskowitz/)

> [Girl, you've been looking for an education. Child, you better fall on your knees before you fall in the wrong direction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ruthie-foster/girl-you-ve-been-looking-for-an-education-child-you-better-fall-on/)

[Ruthie Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ruthie-foster/)

> [There were times . . . when it occurred to me that I was repeating my mother's life. Usually this thought struck me as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/there-were-times-when-it-occurred-to-me-that-i-was-repeating-my/)

[Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/)

> [The at-home mother's life: it was a race with no finish line.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristin-hannah/the-at-home-mother-s-life-it-was-a-race-with-no-finish-line/)

[Kristin Hannah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristin-hannah/)

> [My mother, because of her life, had almost a contradictory way of viewing life. She had this great zest and joy for life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherry-lansing/my-mother-because-of-her-life-had-almost-a-contradictory-way-of/)

[Sherry Lansing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherry-lansing/)

## More by Melanie Gideon

> [“For the first half of your life each minute feels like a year, but for the second half, each year feels like a minute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/for-the-first-half-of-your-life-each-minute-feels-like-a-year-but-for/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“It seems like we've gotten to the point where our experiences, our memories--our entire lives, actually--aren't real unless we post about them online. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/it-seems-like-we-ve-gotten-to-the-point-where-our-experiences-our/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“Reasercher 101, I do not long for the old, unreachable days. When I'm plugged in I can go anywhere, do and learn anything. Today,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/reasercher-101-i-do-not-long-for-the-old-unreachable-days-when-i-m/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“Slowness seems to be a key element in living a rich life. I don't mean rich in the sense of money. I mean rich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/slowness-seems-to-be-a-key-element-in-living-a-rich-life-i-don-t-mean/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“We might miss the days of being unreachable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/we-might-miss-the-days-of-being-unreachable/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“What was unspoken between us, what need never be explained or said, was that nobody would ever love us again like our mothers did.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/what-was-unspoken-between-us-what-need-never-be-explained-or-said-was/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“All I have to say is - run, dive, pitch a tent... Spend hours on the phone with your best friend… Wear bikinis. Drink…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/all-i-have-to-say-is-run-dive-pitch-a-tent-spend-hours-on-the-phone/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“And no, I am not capable of experiencing the present with the same sort of attention to detail. But once the present becomes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/and-no-i-am-not-capable-of-experiencing-the-present-with-the-same/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“When I'm in pain I want everyone I love on the island with me, sitting around the fire, getting drunk on coconut milk, banging…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/when-i-m-in-pain-i-want-everyone-i-love-on-the-island-with-me-sitting/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“No matter where I went, no matter how far I drifted, no matter how long I was gone, you would come after me and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/no-matter-where-i-went-no-matter-how-far-i-drifted-no-matter-how-long/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“Why do you always think the sky is falling? Maybe the sky is calling, not falling.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/why-do-you-always-think-the-sky-is-falling-maybe-the-sky-is-calling/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

> [“There’s this strange phenomenon. An hour after you’ve put your children to sleep, the ways in which you have wronged them sprawl out on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/there-s-this-strange-phenomenon-an-hour-after-you-ve-put-your/)

[Melanie Gideon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

[Explore all 13 Melanie Gideon quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/)

## More Better person quotes

> [“Claiming to be offended is a great way to elevate yourself at the expense of others: “Look at me! I'm a much better person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-markus-malloy/claiming-to-be-offended-is-a-great-way-to-elevate-yourself-at-the/)

[Oliver Markus Malloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-markus-malloy/)

> [Go afield with a good attitude, with respect for the wildlife you hunt and for the forest and fields in which you walk. Immerse…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-bear/go-afield-with-a-good-attitude-with-respect-for-the-wildlife-you-hunt/)

[Fred Bear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-bear/)

> [My favorite thing about being a mom is just what a better person it makes you on a daily basis,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-barrymore/my-favorite-thing-about-being-a-mom-is-just-what-a-better-person-it/)

[Drew Barrymore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-barrymore/)

> [A real good artist learns to be a better person through all the changes they've been through. They keep their loving and honesty growing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradley/a-real-good-artist-learns-to-be-a-better-person-through-all-the/)

[Charles Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradley/)

> [I wasn't paid a dime for my track career. But participating in the Olympics gave me the opportunity to learn about different cultures; it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wyomia-tyus/i-wasn-t-paid-a-dime-for-my-track-career-but-participating-in-the/)

[Wyomia Tyus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wyomia-tyus/)

> [I'm a better person when I'm preparing for a role, when I'm studying a role.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/i-m-a-better-person-when-i-m-preparing-for-a-role-when-i-m-studying-a/)

[Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/)

> [I found myself thinking a lot about my own spirituality. What it means to be Jewish, what it means to forgive, what it means…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tod-goldberg/i-found-myself-thinking-a-lot-about-my-own-spirituality-what-it-means/)

[Tod Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tod-goldberg/)

> [I found the emotion that as an athlete you block out, and it really helped me to understand myself as a person. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-lewis/i-found-the-emotion-that-as-an-athlete-you-block-out-and-it-really/)

[Carl Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-lewis/)

> [I always try to see my weakness, work on it, to be better as a person and a player, everything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mohamed-salah/i-always-try-to-see-my-weakness-work-on-it-to-be-better-as-a-person/)

[Mohamed Salah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mohamed-salah/)

> [Life is like a circle it has no end point and every turn is a challenge did you notice it a circle has every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nishan-panwar/life-is-like-a-circle-it-has-no-end-point-and-every-turn-is-a/)

[Nishan Panwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nishan-panwar/)

> [I started running ultras to become a better person,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenn-shelton/i-started-running-ultras-to-become-a-better-person/)

[Jenn Shelton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenn-shelton/)

> [If you live with a single parent, you don't see compromise. You witness a grown person living in a world where they do what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/if-you-live-with-a-single-parent-you-don-t-see-compromise-you-witness/)

[Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/)

> [I take no pleasure in seeing DeLay swing gently in the wind. But the thing I believe in the most is ethics. If someone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-delay/i-take-no-pleasure-in-seeing-delay-swing-gently-in-the-wind-but-the/)

[Tom DeLay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-delay/)

> [Sometimes you have to steer away from the crowd in order to be a better person. It's not always easy, that's for sure. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-elkeles/sometimes-you-have-to-steer-away-from-the-crowd-in-order-to-be-a/)

[Simone Elkeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-elkeles/)

> [Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glen-rambharack/nobody-ever-feels-100-ready-when-an-opportunity-arises-because-most/)

[Glen Rambharack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glen-rambharack/)

[Browse all 980 Better person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/better-person/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“There comes a time in every mother’s life when it becomes very clear that your child is a much better person than you are, but you’re not allowed to say this because then where would you go from there—admitting such a thing to a nine-year-old?”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Melanie Gideon"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-life-when-it-becomes-very-clear/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Better person"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-life-when-it-becomes-very-clear/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/melanie-gideon-35500_better-person_there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-lif_2182087.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/melanie-gideon-35500_better-person_there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-lif_2182087.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/b6b/melanie-gideon-35500_better-person_there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-lif_2182087.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There comes a time in every mother’s life when it becomes very clear that your child is a much better person…” — Melanie Gideon",
                "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": "Melanie Gideon",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melanie-gideon/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“There comes a time in every...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-life-when-it-becomes-very-clear/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melanie-gideon/there-comes-a-time-in-every-mother-s-life-when-it-becomes-very-clear/#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
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
