paternal instincts Quotes

When a child is born, a father is born. A mother is born, too of course, but at least for her it's a gradual process. Body and soul, she has nine months to get used to what's happening. She becomes what's happening. But for even the best-prepared father, it happens all at once. On the other side of a plate-glass window, a nurse is holding up something roughly the size of a loaf of bread for him to see for the first time.

I look at him [son Eric] and I think of my dad all the time.... I was born to be a dad.

I don't have a kid, but I think that I would be a good father, especially if my baby liked to go out drinking.

The nature of impending fatherhood is that you are doing something that you're unqualified to do, and then you become qualified while doing it.

The thing to remember about fathers is, they're men. A girl has to keep it in mind: They are dragon seekers, bent on improbable rescues. Scratch any father, you find someone chock - full of qualms and romantic terrors, believing change is a threat - like your first shoes with heels on, like your first bicycle I took such months to get.

My son is two weeks old today. The minute he came in my arms and looked at me it changed my life. Literally changed my life. When I say changed my life, I mean he showed me love I thought... I know... the word love, there is no way to describe this love. It's so powerful.

If men gave birth, they'd be less inconsiderate.

I am very strongly paternal. My paternal instincts need to be acted upon. My love needs a release. I love everyone. I don't express my love enough, but the love within me needs a platform as a parent.

Any man who had to carry a child would cave in around month two.

I don't think you understand what levels or what fears until you have a child of your own. I mean, I've never loved someone so much and I've never been so afraid in my life. And the truth is I would kill someone, whoever tried to hurt him. I would. I have no doubt about it.

I think we think that parenthood is confined to the country of mothers, but I think a lot of the men I've spoken to and the men who have read my books - I've been surprised by this actually - have a fierce attachment to being parents and to being fathers. And just as we, a lot of women I know, want this, men too want to pass down what they have to pass down.