100+ Quotes About Kids Growing Up Fast

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Reading quotes about kids growing up can stir up powerful emotions. It makes us nostalgic, reminding us of the moments of joy and wonder that define early childhood. As parents, we often marvel at how quickly time passes, and even before you know it, your little munchkin has started walking on their own and calling out ‘mama’ and ‘dada.’ The whole journey is full of surprising moments, curiosity, learning and wonder, and you feel immensely blessed to be a part of it. Parents often sit back and reminisce about times their child was just a small baby. But growing up has its wonders and special moments. Scroll through for a curated list of quotes that will help you encapsulate the happy memories you have of your little one’s childhood days.

In This Article

101 Best Quotes About Kids Growing Up

1. “Those little feet, won’t be little forever.” ―Ashlee Edens

Those little feet, won't be little forever, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

2. “No one tells you that the hardest part of motherhood is when your kids grow up.” ―Anonymous

3. “Son, you outgrew my lap, but never my heart.” —Anonymous

4. “If you’ve never been hated by your child, you’ve never been a parent.” ―Bette Davis

5. “Let them be little for they are only little for such a little while.” —Anonymous

6. “Sometimes, You will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” ―Dr. Seuss

7. “Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” —Anne Frank

8. “You know children are growing up when they start asking questions that have answers.” ―John J. Plomp

9. “As your kids grow they may forget what you said, but won’t forget how you made them feel.” ―Kevin Heath

10. “The empty nest comes quickly. Do not squander your most precious privilege of participating in the lives of your children.” ―Alan Hedquist

Infographic: Quotes About Children Growing Up Too Fast

sayings on children growing up quickly (infographic)

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

11. “Once a mom, always a mom. No matter how grown the kids are, they will always be your precious babies in your eyes!” —Anonymous

12. “Your son will always be your little boy and your daughters will always be your little girls!” —Felicisima Nietes De Jesus

13. “You have a lifetime to work, but children are only young once.” ―Polish Proverb

Children are only young once, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

14. “Cherish your children… for they are the footprints you will leave behind.” ―Taylor Evan Fulks

15. “I constantly go between wanting you to stay my little baby forever, and being excited about all of the amazing things you’ll do in this life.” ―Anonymous

16. “I regret not having had more time with my kids when they were growing up.” ―Tina Turner

17. “The greatest gift you can give your kids is your time, your love, and your attention.” —Anonymous

18. “They’re all grown-ups now but I still have their sweet voices in my ear, the way they laughed and talked…it’s implanted in my memory…I love my kids so much.” —Emelina Fabian Frobel

19. “In 100 years from now it won’t matter what kind of clothes I wore, the type of car I drove, what house I lived in, or even how much money I had in the bank. But the world may be a little better because of the child I raised.” —Anonymous

20. “Children need models rather than critics.” —Joseph Joubert

21. “There are only 940 Saturdays between a child’s birth and her leaving for college.” ―Harley Rotbart

22. “Parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them. They move on. They move away. The moments that used to define them – a mother’s approval, a father’s nod – are covered by moments of their own accomplishments. It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens, that children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stones upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives.” —Mitch Albom

23. “When we give children advice or instant solutions, we deprive them of the experience that comes from wrestling with their own problems.” —Adele Faber

24. “Hold on to the tiny moments and cherish the little snuggles. They grow up so fast!” ―Anonymous

They grow up so fast, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

25. “I continue to believe that if children are given the necessary tools to succeed, they will succeed beyond their wildest dreams!” ―David Vitter

26. “There are no perfect parents, and there are no perfect children, but there are plenty of perfect moments along the way.” ―Dave Willis

27. “Growing up happens in a heartbeat. One day you’re in diapers; the next day you’re gone. But the memories of childhood stay with you for the long haul.” —Kevin from The Wonder Years

28. “Age is a necessary but insufficient requirement for growing up. There are immature old people, and there are appropriately mature young people.” —Henry Cloud

29. “Children who grow up with plenty can learn to give, just as children who grow up receiving love can learn to express it.” —Fred Rogers

30. “That’s the real trouble with the world, too many people grow up. They forget.” —Walt Disney

31. “Growing old is unavoidable, but never growing up is possible. I believe you can retain certain things from your childhood if you protect them – certain traits, certain places where you don’t let the world go.” —Johnny Depp

32. “Even though your child is beginning to look and act more and more like an adult, he still desperately needs your love, nurturing, and support.” —Gina Panettieri

33. “The more solid, sensible, common-sense, loving steps we take, the greater the chances of helping our children become the kind of children we want them to be and wish we had been when we were growing up.” —Zig Ziglar

Funny Quotes On Kids Growing Up

Your children are your biggest joy, and often, they are the reason for your laughter. What better way to say thanks to them for filling your life with smiles than sharing these humorous quotes with them?

34. “As I learned from growing up, you don’t mess with your grandmother.” —Prince William

Don't mess with your grandmother, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

35. “Becoming a mom to me means that you have accepted that for the next 16 years of your life, you will have a sticky purse.” —Nia Vardalos

36. “When they tell you to grow up, they mean stop growing.” —Tom Robbins

37. “We’ve had bad luck with children; they’ve all grown up.” —Christopher Morley

38. “You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.” —Irish saying

39. “If growing up means it would be beneath my dignity to climb a tree, I’ll never grow up, never grow up, never grow up! Not me!” —J.M. Barrie

40. “The invention of the teenager was a mistake. Once you identify a period of life in which people get to stay out late but don’t have to pay taxes — naturally, no one wants to live any other way.” —Judith Martin

41. “I want my kids to have the things in life that I never had when I was growing up. Things like beards and chest hair.” —Jarod Kintz

42. “It is amazing how quickly the kids learn to drive a car, yet are unable to understand the lawnmower, snow-blower or vacuum cleaner.” —Ben Bergor

43. “You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” —Franklin P. Jones

44. “A grownup is a child with layers on.” —Woody Harrelson

Grownup is a child with layers on, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

45. “Don’t try to make children grow up to be like you, or they may do it.” —Russell Baker

46. “You know your children are growing up when they stop asking you where they came from and refuse to tell you where they’re going.” —P. J. O’Rourke

47. “Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.” —Chili Davis

48. “Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; Now I have six children and no theories.” —John Wilmot

protip_icon Quick fact
Parents often respond to only 50%-60% of a baby’s vocalization. However, if parents reacted to a baby’s vocalization 80% of the time, language development could be accelerated (1).

49. “All of us have moments in our lives that test our courage. Taking children into a house with a white carpet is one of them.” —Erma Bombeck

50. “Children are a great comfort in your old age- and they help you reach it faster too.” —Lionel Kauffman

Children are a great comfort in your old age, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

51. “We spend the first twelve months of our children’s lives teaching them to walk and talk and the next twelve telling them to sit down and shut up.” —Phyllis Diller

52. “Dear Mom, You get mad at me for not acting my age, and then start crying because I’m ‘growing up too fast.’ Sincerely, pick one!” —Anonymous

53. “Motherhood is an early retirement position. Your children do grow up.” —Colleen Parro

54. “Adults are just outdated children.” —Dr. Seuss

55. “The funny thing about kids is, they are the reason we lose it and the reason we hold it together.” —Anonymous

56. “Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the walk before it stops snowing.” —Phyllis Diller

57. “Growing up is such a barbarous business, full of inconvenience and pimples.” ―J.M. Barrie

Inspirational Quotes About Children Growing Up

As children hit maturity, parents often experience some humbling moments. There are times when you learn from your little ones more than you can teach them. These are the moments that inspire you in different ways, and these inspirational quotes capture those moments.

58. “Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.” —Charles R. Swindoll

59. “Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” —John F. Kennedy

60. “If a child can’t learn the way we teach, maybe we should teach the way they learn.” —Ig1acio Estrada

61. “Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded.” —Jess Lair

Children are not things to be molded, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

62. “Speak to your children as if they are the wisest, kindest, most beautiful and magical humans on earth, for what they believe is what they will become.” —Brooke Hampton

63. “You know who’s going to build that better world? It’s the youth. Children will do things that are now considered impossible.” —Kacey McCallister

64. “The way we talk to our children becomes their inner voice.” —Peggy O’Mara

65. “Not every child will become a lawyer or a doctor. Teach your kids that it is okay to work with your hands and build cool stuff.” —Mike Rowe

66. “A child seldom needs a good talking to as a good listening to.” —Robert Brault

67. “Children are like wet cement whatever falls on them makes an impression.” —Haim Ginott

68. “The day the child realizes that all adults are imperfect, he becomes an adolescent; the day he forgives them, he becomes an adult; the day he forgives himself, he becomes wise.” —Alden Nowlan

69. “Remember, the goal is not to raise great kids; it’s to raise kids who become great adults.” ―Andy Andrews

70. “I don’t want my kids growing up believing that there is nothing destructive in the world.” ―Chuck Connors

71. “Do not raise your children the way your parents raised you; they were born for a different time.” ―Ali Bin Abi Talib

72. “Children make your life important.” —Erma Bombeck

Children make your life important, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

73. “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” —Margaret Mead

74. “Allow children to be happy in their own way, for what better way will they find?” —Samuel Johnson

75. “Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them.” —Lady Bird Johnson

76. “Sometimes we don’t let them go, but that’s what parents are here for to advise and guide because we have wisdom from experience in life you’ll always be our babies to us you all bring us such joy when you smile! God bless our children!” —Marilyn Katz O’Rourke

77. “To be able to watch your children’s children grow up is truly a blessing from above.” ―Byron Pulsifer

78. “When we are children we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our childhood behind.” —Patrick Rothfuss

protip_icon Quick fact
The typical American newborn begins viewing television at the age of five months. 82% of children start using the internet before seventh grade (1).

79. “There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children. One of these is roots, the other, wings.” —Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

80. “Growing up is losing some illusions, in order to acquire others.” ―Virginia Woolf

81. “Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional.” ―Cindy Gerard

Growing old is mandatory, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

82. “Kids are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate.” —Anonymous

83. “All kids need a little help, a little hope, and somebody who believes in them.” —Magic Johnson

84. “To a father growing old nothing is dearer than a daughter.” ―Euripides

85. “Kids go where there is excitement. They stay where there is love.” ―Zig Ziglar

86. “The greatest legacy we can leave our kids is happy memories.” —Anonymous

87. “Children do learn what they live. Then they grow up to live what they’ve learned.” ―Dorothy Nolte

88. “Your kids will become who you are; so be who you want them to be.” —Anonymous

89. “Growing up is hard, love. Otherwise everyone would do it.” ―Kim Harrison

90. “We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.” —Stacia Tauscher

91. “The final stage of wisdom is becoming a kid again.” —Maxime Lagacé

Wisdom is becoming a kid again, quote about kids growing up

Image: Shutterstock

92. “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” ―Pablo Picasso

93. “The sacrifices we make today give our kids a better tomorrow.” —Anonymous

94. “A child’s life is like a piece of paper on which every person leaves a mark.” —Chinese Proverb

95. “A day with your kids, no matter how big or small they are, heals your soul.” —Anonymous

96. “Children are our greatest teachers. From them, we can learn some of life’s most valuable qualities; patience, curiosity, kindness, determination, resilience, fearlessness, trust. And most importantly they teach us what it means to love and be loved unconditionally.” —Anonymous

97. “While we try to teach our children all about life, Our children teach us what life is all about.” —Angela Schwindt

98. “Sometimes, we’re so concerned about giving our children what we never had growing up, we neglect to give them what we did have growing up.” ―James C. Dobson

99. “When kids grow up wanting to be you, you matter.” ―Seth Godin

100. “Some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.” ―C.S. Lewis

101. “The great paradox of parenting is that it moves in both slow motion and fast speed.” ―Anonymous

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What are some benefits of allowing children to grow up at their own pace?

Allowing children to grow at their own pace can have many benefits, including building self-esteem, fostering creativity, developing independence, encouraging a love of learning, and reducing stress and anxiety.

2. What can adults learn from the wisdom embedded in quotes about children growing up?

It may help you understand the importance of living in the present, the value of your child’s curiosity, and the importance of play.

3. What emotions do quotes about children growing up evoke in us?

Quotes about children growing up can evoke a wide range of emotions, depending on the specific quote and personal experiences and perspectives. Some possible feelings that these childhood quotes might evoke include nostalgia, hope, and pride.

4. How can quotes about children growing up provide comfort in difficult times?

Quotes about children growing up can provide comfort in difficult times by offering perspective, reassurance, and hope.

It takes no time for a little one to grow up. When handling a newborn, it may seem like you are stuck in the cycle of feeding-burping-cleaning forever. But, when you read about what other parents say about their kids growing up too fast, you may realize how fast time flies. Seeing your little babies grow up into kids is a bittersweet experience and parents grow along with their babies. These emotional parenting quotes about children growing up too fast will make you feel you are not the only one riding this emotional rollercoaster.

Key Pointers

  • Early childhood is marked by joy, wonder, curiosity, and learning.
  • Reading quotes about kids growing up can evoke strong emotions and nostalgia.
  • Parents often marvel at how quickly their children grow, which brings a mix of bittersweet emotions.
  • Growing up has its charm and can make parents feel blessed and excited.
  • Emotional quotes about children growing up help parents realize they are not alone in feeling the rapid passage of time.


Let this heartfelt quotes serve as reminders for every precious moment spent with children. It’s true that time flies in just a blink of an eye and so, this video beautifully captures the essence of kids growing up too fast.

References

MomJunction's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.
  1. Child Development A Practical Introduction; Perlego
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