Tony Shalhoub Quotes

The kids are old enough now - I just want to let them be kids. I don't want to comment on them too much. They're at an age where I just want to let them be kids.

The better you are as a parent, the richer the nest you've built, the more difficult it is for your kids to leave. So they have to invent things to dislike about you. And they're brilliant at it.

Parenting a pre-teen is quite something.

There comes a moment as a parent when you realize you will no longer be the center of your child's universe.

Everybody knows how to raise children, except the people who have them.

You don't know your child until they get here; you don't know their personality.

I think that parents grow up with an idea of what they want their kids to be like - and then their kids grow up to be people of themselves, of their own.

I'm waiting for the day when my children cease to find my domestic propriety reassuring and actually find it annoying.

Among the good and decent men, some are unprepared for the surprises of life, and their good intentions run aground when confronted with issues like child care.

It's refreshing and weird when your kids get older and they're able to tell you how they feel and what they want.

A mother can legitimately be said to 'have a baby' - but in a civilization such as ours, she can never claim to own a teenager.

If you do not give your children freedom, when they grow up, they will break away from the family, and then your hearts will be broken.

Children need parents who will let them grow up to be themselves, but parents often have personal agendas they try to impose on their children.

Katie is like my calendar, watching her grow and change. She is growing up so fast, learning to have opinions of her own, learning that I don’t have the answers to everything. And the moment a child begins to understand that, you know you’re in trouble.

I always assumed I'd be a terribly patient mum but it turns out I'm not!

I thought that once we were out of the baby stage, parenting would be a breeze.

It was quite instant that he wanted Harry's approval. Did you notice that? And the children sort of rescued him this time. It's a great turnabout. That's what happens as your children get older. They do things for you, and it's quite shocking when they do.

We mothers of grown-up daughters tend to view them with a mixture of love, exasperation, irritation and awe.

We're good at taking care of little kids, and spend a lot of energy teaching them things like how to read. But when kids get as tall as their parents and can look them in the eyes, we tend to drop the ball - at a time they most need a loving consistent community of adults, be it parents, aunts, uncles, or others.

'Parenthood' has been the beneficiary of wonderful performances by child actors.

To all those mothers and fathers who are struggling with teen-agers, I say, just be patient: even though it looks like you can't do anything right for a number of years, parents become popular again when kids reach 20.

It is a parent's responsibility to preserve the connection with their children, to preserve the relationship, so that the children can let go and become their own selves.

Well, I love having kids. But I have the advantage of having a lot of help, a real hands-on husband and small children whom I can easily manipulate.

Love can produce the children, but it has nothing to do with the raising of the children. I grew up thinking, 'Oh, that's it. All I have to do is fall in love.' You may think love will change everything, but it really is different with children. Children don't necessarily bring you together; they challenge you.

Even as kids reach adolescence, they need more than ever for us to watch over them. Adolescence is not about letting go. It's about hanging on during a very bumpy ride.