A Little Happier: Some of My Favorite Proverbs About Parenthood.

Because I love aphorisms, proverbs, true rules, and Secrets of Adulthood, I’m writing a collection of my own aphorisms, and also collecting my favorites written by other people.

As part of the same project, I’m also collecting “proverbs of the professions,” and I’ve been collecting parenting proverbs. Here are some of my favorites:

  • You get what you get and you don’t get upset. (Also styled as “You git what you git and you don’t throw a fit”).
  • You’re only as happy as your least happy child.
  • Nap when the baby naps.
  • If your feet are cold, put on a hat.
  • It’s easier to stay warm than get warm.
  • You wake the baby, you take the baby.
  • As a parent, you can have quiet or cleanliness; you can’t have both.
  • To watch them grow, let them go.
  • For gifts, you get something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read.
  • With a teenager, nothing good happens after 1:00 a.m.


I love proverbs for parenthood, and really, proverbs of all the professions and occupations! If you have any great ones to suggest, please send them my way.

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