--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Having children is not something you do…" description: "\"“Having children is not something you do if you have time, having children is what God gave you time for.”\" — Neil L. Anderson" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/neil-l-anderson-68875_children_having-children-is-not-something-you-do_2711913.jpg" --- # Having children is not something you do if you have time… ![“Having children is not something you do if you have time, having children is what God gave you time for.” quote by Neil L. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/neil-l-anderson-68875_children_having-children-is-not-something-you-do_2711913.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/neil-l-anderson-68875_children_having-children-is-not-something-you-do_2711913.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/neil-l-anderson-68875_children_having-children-is-not-something-you-do_2711913.jpg) > ““Having children is not something you do if you have time, having children is what God gave you time for.”” [Neil L. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-anderson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Children are not a time‑consuming choice but a divine purpose, giving meaning to the time we have. **In simple terms:** Children are a divine purpose for our time. Key Takeaway Prioritize family as a spiritual calling. Themes parenthood purpose faith Mood hopeful inspirational Type religious motivational When to use this quote - family planning - parenting - spiritual growth - life priorities Key Concepts theology life meaning spiritual calling Questions to Reflect On - How does your faith shape your parenting? - What does “time for children” mean in daily life? A Different Perspective Balancing work and parenting can be challenging. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Children God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-god/) [Children Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children-time-1812296/) [Gave Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gave-time-562047/) [Having children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/having-children/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Time Having](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time-having-523622/) ## Related quotes > [The best thing to spend on your children is your time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-hart/the-best-thing-to-spend-on-your-children-is-your-time/) [Louise Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-hart/) > [The most important thing with children is to give them your time. Actually, that's all that matters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/monica-bellucci/the-most-important-thing-with-children-is-to-give-them-your-time/) [Monica Bellucci](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/monica-bellucci/) > [I don't get a lot of time with my children. My time is precious, and time with my two kids is like gold dust…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-howard/i-don-t-get-a-lot-of-time-with-my-children-my-time-is-precious-and/) [Tim Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-howard/) > [Think long and hard about the way you invest your children's time. Time is treasure. And where your time investment is, there you will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/think-long-and-hard-about-the-way-you-invest-your-children-s-time/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We all become lost children at one time or another.When no one else can find us, we must find ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-farland/we-all-become-lost-children-at-one-time-or-another-when-no-one-else/) [David Farland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-farland/) > [Time spent with your children is time wisely spent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/time-spent-with-your-children-is-time-wisely-spent/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [Good discipline requires time. When we have no time to give our children, or no time that we are willing to give, we don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-scott-peck/good-discipline-requires-time-when-we-have-no-time-to-give-our/) [M. Scott Peck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-scott-peck/) > [It's absolutely crucial that every child-serving organization - be it an elementary school, daycare, or community center - provide its children with time and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/darell-hammond/it-s-absolutely-crucial-that-every-child-serving-organization-be-it/) [Darell Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/darell-hammond/) > [It's nice not to have to talk about children all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alex-horne/it-s-nice-not-to-have-to-talk-about-children-all-the-time/) [Alex Horne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alex-horne/) > [Give your children all the time and energy. They need to be your number one priority.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sridevi/give-your-children-all-the-time-and-energy-they-need-to-be-your/) [Sridevi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sridevi/) > [Time spent with children is time well spent. Their little minds are not constrained by 'reality' or focused upon goals. Anything and everything is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-sagan/time-spent-with-children-is-time-well-spent-their-little-minds-are/) [Carl Sagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-sagan/) > [After all, we are not children. It's time we planned our life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/moshe-dayan/after-all-we-are-not-children-it-s-time-we-planned-our-life/) [Moshe Dayan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/moshe-dayan/) > [“before, has it?” Molly shook her head. “No. But I still want him home.” She smiled at the sight of her three children napping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-shorey/before-has-it-molly-shook-her-head-no-but-i-still-want-him-home-she/) [Ann Shorey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-shorey/) > [We should spend less time ranking children and more time helping them to identify their natural competencies and gifts, and cultivate those.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-goleman/we-should-spend-less-time-ranking-children-and-more-time-helping-them/) [Daniel Goleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-goleman/) > [“If you can’t actually take time off without having to make sure everything is going right at the office, the thinking goes, you aren’t…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-sutherland/if-you-can-t-actually-take-time-off-without-having-to-make-sure/) [Jeff Sutherland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-sutherland/) ## More by Neil L. Anderson > [ “The scriptures speak of \[the Lord's\] arms being open, extended, stretched out, and encircling. They are described as mighty and holy, arms of mercy,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-anderson/the-scriptures-speak-of-the-lord-s-arms-being-open-extended-stretched/) [Neil L. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-anderson/) > [“I am amazed at the Savior’s encircling arms of mercy and love for the repentant, no matter how selfish the forsaken sin. I testify…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-anderson/i-am-amazed-at-the-savior-s-encircling-arms-of-mercy-and-love-for-the/) [Neil L. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-anderson/) > [“The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to “re-turn” toward God.14 It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-anderson/the-invitation-to-repent-is-rarely-a-voice-of-chastisement-but-rather-2/) [Neil L. Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-anderson/) [Explore all 4 Neil L. Anderson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-anderson/) ## 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. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“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 a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Having children is not something you do if you have time, having children is what God gave you time for.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neil L. Anderson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-anderson/having-children-is-not-something-you-do-if-you-have-time-having/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Children" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-anderson/having-children-is-not-something-you-do-if-you-have-time-having/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/neil-l-anderson-68875_children_having-children-is-not-something-you-do_2711913.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/neil-l-anderson-68875_children_having-children-is-not-something-you-do_2711913.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/605/neil-l-anderson-68875_children_having-children-is-not-something-you-do_2711913.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Having children is not something you do if you have time, having children is what God gave you time for.” — Neil L. Anderson", "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": "Neil L. Anderson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-l-anderson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Having children is not something you...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-anderson/having-children-is-not-something-you-do-if-you-have-time-having/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-l-anderson/having-children-is-not-something-you-do-if-you-have-time-having/#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 } } ] } ```