It is trite but true: Parenting is the hardest job there is. So why do we do it? Well, that’s easy—the experience is deeply fulfilling and the paycheck comes in the currency of transformative love. And it just so happens that, as far as work goes, child-rearing is also the great equalizer: No parent is spared the indignities of the role (yep, a fistful of spaghetti was really just stuffed down your shirt) or the special kind of exhaustion that comes from a day spent meeting the demands of the job. Bottom line: We’re all in the same boat and this collection of funny, heartfelt parenting quotes is proof that the struggle is real and the rewards are sizable, no matter who you are.
30 Celebrity Parenting Quotes That Totally Get It
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Published Jun 25, 2020
1. “I think a lot about teaching my kids to work hard. I’ve learned something about kids ― they don’t do what you say; they do what you do.” — Jennifer Lopez
2. “Sleep at this point is just a concept. Something I’m looking forward to investigating in the future” — Amy Poehler
3. “It is lonely at times and you do feel quite isolated, but actually so many other mothers are going through exactly what you are going through.” — Kate Middleton
4. “For me, motherhood is learning about the strengths I didn’t know I had, and dealing with the fears I didn’t know existed.” — Halle Berry
5. “My instinct is to protect my kids from pain. But adversity is often the thing that gives us character and backbone.” — Nicole Kidman
6. “You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible—oh, this is impossible.’ And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.” — Tina Fey
7. “Twenty-three Grand Slams has been amazing, but I think having my daughter Olympia has probably been the best thing that’s happened to me.” — Serena Williams
8. “Motherhood is the most completely humbling experience I’ve ever had. It puts you in your place because it really forces you to address the issues you claim to believe in.” — Diane Keaton
9. “One is like you got a pet. Two is like you bought a zoo.” — James Corden
10. “Side effect of Go, Dog, Go, the best book ever: Your son WILL tell total strangers on the bus that he does not like their hat.” — Lin Manuel-Miranda
11. “I’ve never had more appreciation for anyone in my entire life until I became a mom.” — Chrissy Teigen
12. “You have those moments: exhaustion, the stress of having an exuberant child, and you don’t want to be judged by your worst mistakes. It’s a part of life, and it’s a part of what makes us who we are.” — Viola Davis
13. “If you’ve never been hated by your child, you’ve never been a parent.” — Bette Davis
14. “My daughter’s only 6 months old and already drawing. I’d hang it on the fridge but honestly, it’s absolute garbage.” — Ryan Reynolds
15. “Having an infant son alerts to me the fact that every man, at one point, has peed on his own face.” — Olivia Wilde
16. “My daughter introduced me to myself...My mother and I are so close, and I always prayed that I would have that type of relationship with my daughter. And she's still a baby, but the connection I had with her when I was giving birth was something that I've never felt before.” — Beyonce Knowles
17. “I’ve learned the value of absorbing the moment. I remember the first time Ripley saw her shadow. My God, it was like shadows had just been invented. It was the most exquisite moment.” — Thandie Newton
18. “Having kids feels like that first 7th grade crush that overwhelms every molecule in your body, but it’s permanent.” — Kristen Bell
19. “You’re going to get advice from a lot of people, and you can take bits and pieces, but you know innately what your child needs. You should trust that.” — Lucy Liu
20. “I suck at swaddling. I don’t know whether to use glass or plastic bottles. I never knew there were so many types of nipples. And installing a car seat is like taking the SATS! I don’t have all the answers, which feels terrifying.” — Gabrielle Union
21. “When I look down, even now, at the extra skin on my belly, it’s a reminder that I’ve done something spectacular. It’s a reminder that I’m a superhero. And I’m proud of it.” — Kristen Bell
22. “The majority of my diet is made up of foods my kid didn’t finish.” — Carrie Underwood
23. “There’s no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one.” — Jill Churchill
24. “Let me give you some baby advice: You’re not going to do anything for the next six months.” — Channing Tatum
25. “My biggest parenting conundrum: Why it is so hard to put someone who is already sleepy to sleep?” — Chrissy Teigen
26. “I always say, if you aren’t always yelling at your kids, you aren’t spending enough time with them.” — Reese Witherspoon
27. “You have to be goofy with your kids. Life isn’t so serious.” — Idris Elba
28. “Kids have a personality that has nothing to do with you. I have a really sweet daughter. She wants to hug all the other kids. I didn’t teach her to be sweet.” — Mila Kunis
29. “Being a parent has made me more open, more connected to myself, more happy, and more creative. I’m more discerning in what I do and how I do it. It’s just made me a better person all the way around.” — Alicia Keys
30. “The thing about parenting rules is there aren’t any. That’s what makes it so difficult.” — Ewan McGregor