--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Most of us become parents long before we…" description: "\"Most of us become parents long before we have stopped being children.\" — Mignon McLaughlin" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/mignon-mclaughlin-742_child_most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we_1595132.png" --- # Most of us become parents long before we have stopped… ![“Most of us become parents long before we have stopped being children.” quote by Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/mignon-mclaughlin-742_child_most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we_1595132.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/mignon-mclaughlin-742_child_most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we_1595132.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/mignon-mclaughlin-742_child_most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we_1595132.png) > “Most of us become parents long before we have stopped being children.” [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People often assume adulthood ends childhood, but emotional growth continues beyond parenthood. **In simple terms:** Parenthood doesn't end childhood. Key Takeaway Embrace lifelong emotional development. Themes parenthood growth identity Mood reflective nostalgic Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - family dynamics - personal reflection - career transitions Key Concepts psychological development life stages Questions to Reflect On - How do adult responsibilities reshape childlike wonder? - Can we retain youthful curiosity? A Different Perspective May romanticize childhood nostalgia. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Child](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Parents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parents/) ## Related quotes > [You really do have to appreciate your parents as long as they breath, and start to socialize with them no matter what makes you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mly-ab/you-really-do-have-to-appreciate-your-parents-as-long-as-they-breath/) MlY AB > [“Some grown-ups could be so inherently stupid. Try banning homework sometime. You might see those straight A's so many parents long for.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-brewer/some-grown-ups-could-be-so-inherently-stupid-try-banning-homework/) [Heather Brewer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-brewer/) > [We had to be parents by long distance, which is far from satisfactory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-hunter/we-had-to-be-parents-by-long-distance-which-is-far-from-satisfactory/) [Jeffrey Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-hunter/) > [“We need more child abuse laws, these kids have been abusing us parents long enough.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foort-lawrence-foort/we-need-more-child-abuse-laws-these-kids-have-been-abusing-us-parents/) Foort Lawrence Foort > [Wealthy parents have long relied on a properly timed donation to improve their children's chances at admission to college.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-j-knowles/wealthy-parents-have-long-relied-on-a-properly-timed-donation-to/) [Michael J. Knowles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-j-knowles/) > [Like many parents after a long family holiday, I usually welcome the moment when my kids head back to school.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-andres/like-many-parents-after-a-long-family-holiday-i-usually-welcome-the/) [Jose Andres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-andres/) > [Most parents have long understood that kids don't have the judgment, the maturity, the impulse control and insight necessary to make complicated lifelong decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-stevenson/most-parents-have-long-understood-that-kids-don-t-have-the-judgment/) [Bryan Stevenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-stevenson/) > [They all disowned their parents long ago, the way you are supposed to.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/they-all-disowned-their-parents-long-ago-the-way-you-are-supposed-to/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [Once I got to college, it seemed that the Hamptons were a little bit too posh for me and didn't represent the kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colson-whitehead/once-i-got-to-college-it-seemed-that-the-hamptons-were-a-little-bit/) [Colson Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colson-whitehead/) > [My parents' long and happy marriage was a great ideal to live up to, but a tough one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-williams/my-parents-long-and-happy-marriage-was-a-great-ideal-to-live-up-to/) [Olivia Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-williams/) > [“Marriage came with storms and rocks.  He’d watched his parents long enough to know that.  Sometimes the outside world threw problems at you—and sometimes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debora-geary/marriage-came-with-storms-and-rocks-he-d-watched-his-parents-long/) [Debora Geary](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debora-geary/) > [I've seen my parents' long and successful marriage. I have never seen them argue or fight with each other, and the reason behind that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raveena-tandon/i-ve-seen-my-parents-long-and-successful-marriage-i-have-never-seen/) [Raveena Tandon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raveena-tandon/) > [There are children born to be children, and others who must mark time till they can take their natural places as adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/there-are-children-born-to-be-children-and-others-who-must-mark-time/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) ## More by Mignon McLaughlin > [As we are human, we can't do what we can't do; as we're neurotic, we can't do what we can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/as-we-are-human-we-can-t-do-what-we-can-t-do-as-we-re-neurotic-we-can/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Naturally, the neurotic wants you to love him twice as much, for he's going to cut it in half anyway.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/naturally-the-neurotic-wants-you-to-love-him-twice-as-much-for-he-s/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [We have a terror of seeming to exert ourselves, lest it be noticed that we exerted ourselves and did not succeed.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/we-have-a-terror-of-seeming-to-exert-ourselves-lest-it-be-noticed/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [The three horrors of modern life - talk without meaning, desire without love, work without satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/the-three-horrors-of-modern-life-talk-without-meaning-desire-without/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [We are never more self-righteous than when giving up what we should have shunned all along.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/we-are-never-more-self-righteous-than-when-giving-up-what-we-should/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [The time to begin most things is ten years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/the-time-to-begin-most-things-is-ten-years-ago/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [One of life's few really reliable pleasures: to have a family you love, and to leave them for a week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/one-of-life-s-few-really-reliable-pleasures-to-have-a-family-you-love/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [So long as God reveals Himself, or doesn't, He is behaving like God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/so-long-as-god-reveals-himself-or-doesn-t-he-is-behaving-like-god/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [The total history of almost anyone would shock almost everyone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/the-total-history-of-almost-anyone-would-shock-almost-everyone/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [There are children born to be children, and others who must mark time till they can take their natural places as adults.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/there-are-children-born-to-be-children-and-others-who-must-mark-time/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [In life, as in restaurants, we swallow a lot of indigestible stuff just because it comes with the dinner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/in-life-as-in-restaurants-we-swallow-a-lot-of-indigestible-stuff-just/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Neurotics always feel as though they were going way up or way down, which is odd in people going sideways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/neurotics-always-feel-as-though-they-were-going-way-up-or-way-down/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [Even in the same family, one child will always instinctively know when to ask for things, and another won't.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/even-in-the-same-family-one-child-will-always-instinctively-know-when/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [People find it hard to be both comic and serious, though life manages it easily enough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/people-find-it-hard-to-be-both-comic-and-serious-though-life-manages/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) > [No good neurotic finds it difficult to be both opinionated and indecisive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/no-good-neurotic-finds-it-difficult-to-be-both-opinionated-and/) [Mignon McLaughlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) [Explore all 383 Mignon McLaughlin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/) ## More Child quotes > [The thing about hitting kids is, think about if you were doing the same thing to another adult. Hitting your kid is really the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-braff/the-thing-about-hitting-kids-is-think-about-if-you-were-doing-the/) [Zach Braff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-braff/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [“As parents who make every effort we can to raise our children in loving security, we do not need to feel more guilt than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabor-mat/as-parents-who-make-every-effort-we-can-to-raise-our-children-in/) [Gabor Maté](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabor-mat/) > [I want to make my music and be a happy woman, a good wife, a good mom and one day hopefully have a child…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leann-rimes/i-want-to-make-my-music-and-be-a-happy-woman-a-good-wife-a-good-mom/) [LeAnn Rimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leann-rimes/) > [I would have done well as a gypsy child, I think. A circus baby. I coulda played a great street urchin or ragamuffin. Or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natasha-lyonne/i-would-have-done-well-as-a-gypsy-child-i-think-a-circus-baby-i/) [Natasha Lyonne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natasha-lyonne/) > [We're raising children who have little tolerance for disappointment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/we-re-raising-children-who-have-little-tolerance-for-disappointment/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [I'm a weirdo and an only child. That comes together to create one-woman shows.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amanda-seales/i-m-a-weirdo-and-an-only-child-that-comes-together-to-create-one/) [Amanda Seales](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amanda-seales/) > [“Every child is born as angel.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/every-child-is-born-as-angel/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [To assist a child we must provide him with an environment which will enable him to develop freely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-montessori/to-assist-a-child-we-must-provide-him-with-an-environment-which-will/) [Maria Montessori](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-montessori/) > [Almost everywhere we find . . . the use of various coercive measures, to rid ourselves as quickly as possible of the child withinus--i.e.,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-miller/almost-everywhere-we-find-the-use-of-various-coercive-measures-to-rid/) [Alice Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-miller/) > [Since I was a little child, my nose - I think it's too big.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/celine-dion/since-i-was-a-little-child-my-nose-i-think-it-s-too-big/) [Celine Dion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/celine-dion/) > [if we center our lives on BMWs, RVs, VCRs, PCs and the other acronyms of consumerism, we cannot expect our children to do otherwise.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johnnetta-b-cole/if-we-center-our-lives-on-bmws-rvs-vcrs-pcs-and-the-other-acronyms-of/) [Johnnetta B. Cole](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johnnetta-b-cole/) > [Bring up your children in the way you think other peoples children should go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vikrant-parsai/bring-up-your-children-in-the-way-you-think-other-peoples-children/) [Vikrant Parsai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vikrant-parsai/) > [Parents who are stressed or disturbed will have more difficulty in meeting their children's needs. Parents who have little support--from friends, relatives, neighbors, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kamerman/parents-who-are-stressed-or-disturbed-will-have-more-difficulty-in/) Sheila Kamerman > [My first three manuscripts were epic fantasy - like high fantasy - and then the fourth one was a historical fantasy about Mozart as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-lu/my-first-three-manuscripts-were-epic-fantasy-like-high-fantasy-and/) [Marie Lu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-lu/) [Browse all 10,700 Child quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/child/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Most of us become parents long before we have stopped being children.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mignon McLaughlin" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we-have-stopped-being-children/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Child" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we-have-stopped-being-children/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/mignon-mclaughlin-742_child_most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we_1595132.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/mignon-mclaughlin-742_child_most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we_1595132.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f72/mignon-mclaughlin-742_child_most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we_1595132.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Most of us become parents long before we have stopped being children.” — Mignon McLaughlin", "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": "Mignon McLaughlin", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mignon-mclaughlin/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Most of us become parents long...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we-have-stopped-being-children/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mignon-mclaughlin/most-of-us-become-parents-long-before-we-have-stopped-being-children/#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 } } ] } ```