--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've always felt this, from when I was…" description: "\"I've always felt this, from when I was growing up to now with my son Riley. We don't let them be little. I was not a normal kid, but I had a sense of i..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/melissa-peterman-41735_always_i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-gr_119009.png" --- # I've always felt this, from when I was growing up to now… ![“I've always felt this, from when I was growing up to now with my son Riley. We don't let them be little. I was not a normal kid, but I had a sense of innocence far longer than we let kids.” quote by Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/melissa-peterman-41735_always_i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-gr_119009.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/melissa-peterman-41735_always_i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-gr_119009.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/melissa-peterman-41735_always_i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-gr_119009.png) > “I've always felt this, from when I was growing up to now with my son Riley. We don't let them be little. I was not a normal kid, but I had a sense of innocence far longer than we let kids.” [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker values preserving a child's innocence longer than societal expectations, resisting pressure to force premature maturity. **In simple terms:** Protecting childhood innocence is prioritized. Key Takeaway Guarding innocence counters forced adultification. Themes parenting innocence childhood societal pressure development Mood protective nostalgic Type advice reflective When to use this quote - Raising children - Educational settings - Family counseling - Youth programs Key Concepts psychological development cultural norms Practical Applications - Allow children unstructured play - Delay exposure to adult topics when appropriate Questions to Reflect On - When does protecting innocence hinder necessary growth? - How can parents balance innocence with real‑world preparedness? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Growing up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/growing-up/) [Innocence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/innocence/) [Kids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kids/) [Son](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/son/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think that on a daily basis, people need to be so concerned with others think. When someone comes forward and is an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-goreski/i-don-t-think-that-on-a-daily-basis-people-need-to-be-so-concerned/) [Brad Goreski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-goreski/) > [“That long-gone sense of innocence and trust now reminded her of the feeling she now had when about to put on a new dress,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/juliet-nicolson/that-long-gone-sense-of-innocence-and-trust-now-reminded-her-of-the/) Juliet Nicolson > [When someone comes forward and is an individual, such as a Lady Gaga or a Katy Perry, people respond to them because there is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brad-goreski/when-someone-comes-forward-and-is-an-individual-such-as-a-lady-gaga/) [Brad Goreski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brad-goreski/) > [Yeah yeah son! The name is Riley Escobar! Know what I'm saying?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riley-freeman/yeah-yeah-son-the-name-is-riley-escobar-know-what-i-m-saying/) [Riley Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/riley-freeman/) > [And so then, keep on growing, My son. Keep on becoming. And keep on deciding what you want to become in the next highest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neale-donald-walsch/and-so-then-keep-on-growing-my-son-keep-on-becoming-and-keep-on/) [Neale Donald Walsch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neale-donald-walsch/) > [There was nothing exceptional about growing up as the son of a congressman.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-d-hunter/there-was-nothing-exceptional-about-growing-up-as-the-son-of-a/) [Duncan D. Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-d-hunter/) > [No sense in no sense innocence of what of not and what of delight. In no sense innocence in no sense and what in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gertrude-stein/no-sense-in-no-sense-innocence-of-what-of-not-and-what-of-delight-in/) [Gertrude Stein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gertrude-stein/) > [The difference we wanna make is number one to let these kids know that they’re not alone, that they’re actually not that messed up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerard-way/the-difference-we-wanna-make-is-number-one-to-let-these-kids-know/) [Gerard Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerard-way/) > [You would not let your kids do whatever they want. So the challenge is to create accountability in a non-mechanistic way. You cannot come…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kao/you-would-not-let-your-kids-do-whatever-they-want-so-the-challenge-is/) [John Kao](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kao/) > [We are the only animals that let our kids come back home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-cosby/we-are-the-only-animals-that-let-our-kids-come-back-home/) [Bill Cosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-cosby/) > [You have to let kids live their own lives and make their mistakes, but it is difficult now because there are so many things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dawn-french/you-have-to-let-kids-live-their-own-lives-and-make-their-mistakes-but/) [Dawn French](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dawn-french/) > [I'd like to say let your kids go out and play. Then I'd say you're not going to do that are you? Make your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-everett-koop/i-d-like-to-say-let-your-kids-go-out-and-play-then-i-d-say-you-re-not/) [C. Everett Koop](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-everett-koop/) > [I was raised in church, and we let our kids know who Jesus is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-demarcus/i-was-raised-in-church-and-we-let-our-kids-know-who-jesus-is/) [Jay DeMarcus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-demarcus/) > [This summer, we need to let our kids go play and we need to stop worrying about whether or not it's going to ruin…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darell-hammond/this-summer-we-need-to-let-our-kids-go-play-and-we-need-to-stop/) [Darell Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darell-hammond/) > [We're thrifty. We can live off our interest, save the principal, and let the kids go off and have a hoot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-jackson/we-re-thrifty-we-can-live-off-our-interest-save-the-principal-and-let/) [Keith Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-jackson/) ## More by Melissa Peterman > [I have a husband, and babysitters; I find it hard. I find it amazing how single moms do it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/i-have-a-husband-and-babysitters-i-find-it-hard-i-find-it-amazing-how/) [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) > [That's what motherhood is: you're working; you're doing 25 different jobs, and you're not getting paid.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/that-s-what-motherhood-is-you-re-working-you-re-doing-25-different/) [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) > [You get nervous when you're identified with something that is really great and positive for so long. You don't want to not be that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/you-get-nervous-when-you-re-identified-with-something-that-is-really/) [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) > [I love to dance; it's one of my favorite things to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/i-love-to-dance-it-s-one-of-my-favorite-things-to-do/) [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) > [Stand-up is the scariest thing - whether it's TV, movies, improv - stand-up is the worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/stand-up-is-the-scariest-thing-whether-it-s-tv-movies-improv-stand-up/) [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) > [You don't have to stay where you are; you can make a change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/you-don-t-have-to-stay-where-you-are-you-can-make-a-change/) [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) > [It's always possible as an actress that your last job could really be your last job.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/it-s-always-possible-as-an-actress-that-your-last-job-could-really-be/) [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) > [If I could have a time machine, where I could go back and tell 12-year-old Melissa that someday John Schneider was going to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/if-i-could-have-a-time-machine-where-i-could-go-back-and-tell-12-year/) [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) > [I have been tossing around the idea of writing some non-fiction. Maybe a collection of short stories about my experience being a mom and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/i-have-been-tossing-around-the-idea-of-writing-some-non-fiction-maybe/) [Melissa Peterman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) [Explore all 10 Melissa Peterman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/) ## More Always quotes > [I think performing has pretty much always been a part of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isa-briones/i-think-performing-has-pretty-much-always-been-a-part-of-me/) [Isa Briones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isa-briones/) > [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/) [Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [It's always great to see old friends, especially those I have not been able to see in 15 months.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-regal/it-s-always-great-to-see-old-friends-especially-those-i-have-not-been/) [William Regal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-regal/) > [When you step out and do a song in a musical, the easier thing to do is make it funny. But when those transitions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/when-you-step-out-and-do-a-song-in-a-musical-the-easier-thing-to-do/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [I have really good lateral movement. I've always had quick lateral movement.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/austin-rivers/i-have-really-good-lateral-movement-i-ve-always-had-quick-lateral/) [Austin Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/austin-rivers/) > [There is something magical about being able to feel somebody. And that is something that has always moved me with music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-brink/there-is-something-magical-about-being-able-to-feel-somebody-and-that/) [Maria Brink](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-brink/) > [Mythology is something that always has opportunities to explore. 'It' has been on Earth for millions of years. He's been in contact with humans…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-muschietti/mythology-is-something-that-always-has-opportunities-to-explore-it/) [Andy Muschietti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-muschietti/) > [It's not writing in the traditional sense, but I've always said that the writing process continues on the set and even into the editing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-b-weide/it-s-not-writing-in-the-traditional-sense-but-i-ve-always-said-that/) [Robert B. Weide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-b-weide/) > [I always watch my matches back 100 times afterwards because that's how I improve. This is something I've always done, even in NXT.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mandy-rose/i-always-watch-my-matches-back-100-times-afterwards-because-that-s/) [Mandy Rose](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mandy-rose/) > [I've always been of the idea that is doesn't really matter where you are geographically - with 'Lonerism,' we made half the album in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-parker/i-ve-always-been-of-the-idea-that-is-doesn-t-really-matter-where-you/) [Kevin Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-parker/) > [It's very easy to fool yourself that you're working, you know, when you're really not working very hard. I mean, I'm very lazy. So…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-caro/it-s-very-easy-to-fool-yourself-that-you-re-working-you-know-when-you/) [Robert Caro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-caro/) > [Whether it was Little League or playing with your brothers or sisters, that was always a problem. If I would lose - because I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-ripken-jr/whether-it-was-little-league-or-playing-with-your-brothers-or-sisters/) [Cal Ripken, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-ripken-jr/) > [I always say if you put someone from a small town into a big city for ten years, then when they go back, they'll…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-colter/i-always-say-if-you-put-someone-from-a-small-town-into-a-big-city-for/) [Mike Colter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-colter/) > [Bayern is always a team that can win the Champions League title in Europe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lothar-matthaus/bayern-is-always-a-team-that-can-win-the-champions-league-title-in/) [Lothar Matthaus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lothar-matthaus/) Browse all 36,048 Always quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I've always felt this, from when I was growing up to now with my son Riley. We don't let them be little. I was not a normal kid, but I had a sense of innocence far longer than we let kids.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Melissa Peterman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-growing-up-to-now-with-my-son/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Always" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-growing-up-to-now-with-my-son/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/melissa-peterman-41735_always_i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-gr_119009.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/melissa-peterman-41735_always_i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-gr_119009.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8aa/melissa-peterman-41735_always_i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-gr_119009.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I've always felt this, from when I was growing up to now with my son Riley. We don't let them be little. I…” — Melissa Peterman", "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": "Melissa Peterman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-peterman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I've always felt this, from when...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-growing-up-to-now-with-my-son/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-peterman/i-ve-always-felt-this-from-when-i-was-growing-up-to-now-with-my-son/#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 } } ] } ```