--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I'd always ask my grandma, who was so, so…" description: "\"I'd always ask my grandma, who was so, so smart, why she didn't work, and she would explain that her parents didn't approve of her working after she ha..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/010/reese-witherspoon-2395_asks_i-d-always-ask-my-grandma-who-was-so-so_2027970.jpg" --- # I'd always ask my grandma, who was so, so smart, why she… ![“I'd always ask my grandma, who was so, so smart, why she didn't work, and she would explain that her parents didn't approve of her working after she had children. She didn't feel like she had choices.” quote by Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/010/reese-witherspoon-2395_asks_i-d-always-ask-my-grandma-who-was-so-so_2027970.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/010/reese-witherspoon-2395_asks_i-d-always-ask-my-grandma-who-was-so-so_2027970.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/010/reese-witherspoon-2395_asks_i-d-always-ask-my-grandma-who-was-so-so_2027970.jpg) > “I'd always ask my grandma, who was so, so smart, why she didn't work, and she would explain that her parents didn't approve of her working after she had children. She didn't feel like she had choices.” [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Societal expectations often restrict women's choices, especially after motherhood. **In simple terms:** Women face limited options due to cultural norms. Key Takeaway Challenge and expand opportunities for all women. Themes gender equality family expectations career empowerment social norms Mood concerned hopeful Type social motivational When to use this quote - career counseling - parenting workshops - policy advocacy - education programs Key Concepts feminism sociology Questions to Reflect On - What barriers do women still face today? - How can communities support mothers' career goals? A Different Perspective Changing attitudes requires systemic change, not just personal choice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Parent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parent/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Smart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smart/) ## Related quotes > [I don't think these women are stupid. I think they're selling a personality that's very marketable: Wouldn't it be fun if we were all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-don-t-think-these-women-are-stupid-i-think-they-re-selling-a/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [“One day a young girl watched her mother prepare a ham for baking. At one point the daughter asked, “Mom, why did you cut…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicki-robin/one-day-a-young-girl-watched-her-mother-prepare-a-ham-for-baking-at/) [Vicki Robin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicki-robin/) > [Banging on the piano while my grandmother was watching me. I'd run up to her and ask: 'How was that, Grandma?' And she'd say,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-robinson/banging-on-the-piano-while-my-grandmother-was-watching-me-i-d-run-up/) [Craig Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-robinson/) > [My family's still loves my music. Every time they hear me on the radio they call my phone - my grandma even called me:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-chop/my-family-s-still-loves-my-music-every-time-they-hear-me-on-the-radio/) Young Chop > [My grandma said - when I was really young and I'd sing along to the radio - why do you sing in an American…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-watson/my-grandma-said-when-i-was-really-young-and-i-d-sing-along-to-the/) [Emma Watson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-watson/) > [My dad liked more macho adventure books like Shogun or spy novels. My mother reads murder mysteries. In fact, so does her mother, my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-bollen/my-dad-liked-more-macho-adventure-books-like-shogun-or-spy-novels-my/) [Christopher Bollen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-bollen/) > [One night as I girl I spied my grandma and one of her sisters outside, holding hands and singing, "Sprites of the night are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-hunt/one-night-as-i-girl-i-spied-my-grandma-and-one-of-her-sisters-outside/) [Samantha Hunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-hunt/) > [As a kid, my grandma would be dancing all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victor-cruz/as-a-kid-my-grandma-would-be-dancing-all-the-time/) [Victor Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victor-cruz/) > [Christy: "My grandma made this. I've had it since elementary school." Todd: "I never knew that." Christy: "I never knew you left your towel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robin-jones-gunn/christy-my-grandma-made-this-i-ve-had-it-since-elementary-school-todd/) [Robin Jones Gunn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robin-jones-gunn/) > [My mom would spend a week in jail. She would spend a day in jail here - a week again, a week and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/trevor-noah/my-mom-would-spend-a-week-in-jail-she-would-spend-a-day-in-jail-here/) [Trevor Noah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/trevor-noah/) > [What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudy-giuliani/what-children-need-most-are-the-essentials-that-grandparents-provide/) [Rudy Giuliani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudy-giuliani/) > [Her grandmother, as she gets older, is not fading but rather becoming more concentrated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulette-alden/her-grandmother-as-she-gets-older-is-not-fading-but-rather-becoming/) Paulette Alden > [My grandma has said many of the things her character says. But she was much nicer! I made her meaner for dramatic purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-holofcener/my-grandma-has-said-many-of-the-things-her-character-says-but-she-was/) [Nicole Holofcener](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-holofcener/) > [I just love all the music. My grandma was a church organist for 40 years, and she got me into jazz music and great…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zach-anner/i-just-love-all-the-music-my-grandma-was-a-church-organist-for-40/) [Zach Anner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zach-anner/) > [I got stopped in front of the bras in Victoria's Secret; I get interrogated in airport bathrooms. I went to South Africa in January…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sasha-pieterse/i-got-stopped-in-front-of-the-bras-in-victoria-s-secret-i-get/) [Sasha Pieterse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sasha-pieterse/) ## More by Reese Witherspoon > [I love that people are going, Yeah, I love a hundred different kinds of beauty; it's not all the tall, skinny supermodel. Around the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-love-that-people-are-going-yeah-i-love-a-hundred-different-kinds-of/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [It's fun chasing boys, especially when you're young, but I think it takes time and life experience to notice the other boys.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/it-s-fun-chasing-boys-especially-when-you-re-young-but-i-think-it/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [This is a movement to say we're more than just our dresses. ... It's hard being a woman in Hollywood or any industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/this-is-a-movement-to-say-we-re-more-than-just-our-dresses-it-s-hard/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [I got a role in this movie called Freeway playing this really angry, aggressive, violent young woman who believed wholeheartedly in the truth. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-got-a-role-in-this-movie-called-freeway-playing-this-really-angry/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [My rule is, if it's not moving-monogram it!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/my-rule-is-if-it-s-not-moving-monogram-it/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [When I was a question on Jeopardy, that's when I felt famous.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/when-i-was-a-question-on-jeopardy-that-s-when-i-felt-famous/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [I don't think these women are stupid. I think they're selling a personality that's very marketable: Wouldn't it be fun if we were all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-don-t-think-these-women-are-stupid-i-think-they-re-selling-a/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [Many people worry so much about managing their careers, but rarely spend half that much energy managing their LIVES. I want to make my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/many-people-worry-so-much-about-managing-their-careers-but-rarely/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [I'm a big organizer person. I can spend a good three hours on my sock drawer. It's fantastic!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-m-a-big-organizer-person-i-can-spend-a-good-three-hours-on-my-sock/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [“I don't believe in perfection. I don't think there is such a thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-don-t-believe-in-perfection-i-don-t-think-there-is-such-a-thing/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [Movies will finally reflect the world we live in, not some weird dinosaur reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/movies-will-finally-reflect-the-world-we-live-in-not-some-weird/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [I clearly had one drink too many and I am deeply embarrassed about the things I said,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-clearly-had-one-drink-too-many-and-i-am-deeply-embarrassed-about/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [I always say funny doesnt sag, which seems like a good rule of thumb. People should be more interested in your personality than how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-always-say-funny-doesnt-sag-which-seems-like-a-good-rule-of-thumb/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [I mean, really: He called me 33 percent lesbian, which was a gross underestimation of my lesbian-ness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reese-witherspoon/i-mean-really-he-called-me-33-percent-lesbian-which-was-a-gross/) [Reese Witherspoon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reese-witherspoon/) > [ A \[news\] magazine printed a \[photo-illustration\] of me in a ball gown holding a vacuum cleaner, saying I started a company. 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And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. 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