Quotes About Upbringing

What good is my parents' wealth and education and upbringing if I'm not contributing to the world?

I wasn't born to a wealthy or powerful family - mother from Puerto Rico, dad from the South Bronx.

My grandfather was a wealthy and respected merchant in Montclair, New Jersey, where I was born. But his estate was wiped out in the Great Depression, and as a result, I had what I consider the ideal upbringing: We were a proud family, good citizens, and we didn't have a sou.

I grew up in a wealthy upper-class household in Jamaica, which was run along militaristic lines by my mother, Gloria.

It was a great childhood. We weren't especially wealthy or anything, but I felt I had a kind of safety and freedom.

I come from very conservative parents, and we weren't particularly wealthy, but we were comfortable.

Cory Booker grew up rich in an all-white suburb. He's basically a white guy. His parents were very wealthy executives at IBM.

We weren't wealthy but we weren't poor either. My mum was a teacher and my dad, Chris, was an England international cricketer. We were always taught respect when it came to money, and that stands me in good stead now. I've always respected my parents, and still look to them for advice when I need it.

Spending time in Soweto, and looking at the issues, and experiencing the poverty first-hand, had an enormous impact. I was brought up in a council house in South East London - I didn't have a privileged or wealthy upbringing - but looking at the scale of the problems there just left me dumbfounded.

I didn't grow up in a wealthy family at all. Being at home all day and watching movies, that was a luxury.

I'm very sensitive. Because my mum was my primary emotional caregiver growing up, I found myself being pinned into dresses, darting her dresses, choosing her high heels for the evening or what to wear. I'm very much a mommy's boy.

My mum never put those fashion ideals into the house. I didn't wear make-up, and I had my hair all frizzy.

I was brought up in a very rural area on grounds of a castle. It was a working farm, and I even remember the local shepherd wearing his Barbour jacket.

My father is Polish, and at 68, he still wears a Speedo to the beach, and he wears regular briefs - so did his father. That was my upbringing.

I love it here in Puerto Rico. I love the weather and the beautiful people. Everything about the culture is like where I grew up in Philadelphia.

With my upbringing and where I grew up, people slagged people. If you slagged them, they'd slag you back... I know it pales in comparison to genuine issues that people have got, but I've had people slagging my stuff off on my blog and my website for years.

My father and mother were not that compatible. I don't think they had a good wedding night, and I was the product of that. We weren't close.

I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and my wedding was not on the cover of a magazine.

I am not very comfortable about dancing at weddings and New Year parties. Maybe it's because of the way I have been brought up; I wouldn't want my family to feel that cringe moment. Dance is an art for me.

Mum and Dad grew vegetables and every day it would be beans for dinner and we'd have to go and pick them, and weed and stuff. If you wanted your pocket money you did your chores.

I was raised by both parents up to 17. We had a good family. We had a middle class family, good teaching and good surroundings, raised by the church, where I went every week whether I wanted to or not.

In terms of cultural upbringing, I'd be at the temple at the weekend - I'm a Hindu - but I'd also be at the Saints game as well on a Saturday - you do everything, you do both.

My mom and dad got divorced when I was, like, 8, and when I went to my dad's house on the weekend, he'd play a lot of music: Miles Davis, Radiohead, Thom Yorke, Elton John.

My grandmother and my mother raised me, but my dad made a conscious effort to be in my life - every weekend he would take me out.