Weird Al Yankovic says he wishes to live with 22 clones of his daughter — his reason hits home for many parents

Watching a child grow up can be a bittersweet thing for a parent. They might be proud of the person they have become, but they could also feel sad about losing their little baby. So when renowned comedy musician and actor Weird Al Yankovic expressed that he wanted to live with 22 clones of his daughter at every age, he struck a chord with parents around the world. During an interview on the show "Wild Card" with host Rachel Martin, the star explained the reasoning behind his wish.

"What period of your life do you often daydream about?" Martin asked Yankovic, who answered that he often dreamt about his daughter, Nina's childhood. Nina is 22 now and about to graduate from college. "I think so much about her. Like, whenever old pictures come up on your phone or your desktop and you go, 'Oh, you remember when you were eight? Remember when you were five?'" he expressed. "And she goes, 'Yeah, Dad, I remember.'" He expressed that he loved what his daughter was now. "We love you now." Martin pointed out, "But that person is gone," referring to a person's childhood self. Yankovic expressed how great it would be to have "a Nina at every age, living in our house, just 1 through 22."

"22 Ninas. Because each one is so special and so beautiful and lovely," the dad continued. He pointed out how there is something really unique about every age. "And it's such a sense of loss when that person becomes something else." Even though that version is "equally good," according to Yankovic, he still misses the other person. "You know what I mean?" he asked the host. Martin revealed that she knew exactly what he meant, as she had two sons herself who were 10 and 12 years old. "And same thing, I know when you sit and daydream about all those memories and you are like, this is now a different person I get to know." Many parents shared their thoughts on Yankovic's response in the comments section of the video.

Jaime Brown wrote, "I think it’s a sweet thought. Personally, I never mourned my kids growing up. At every age and stage, I was just excited for them to become more themselves. Except for 3-year-olds. I wanted to give each of them away at 3." Melissa Silva commented, "It helps me to think of my kids like onions...layers and layers. The 1-year-olds and 7-year-olds and 4-year-olds are still within them....they are a collective accumulation of who they've ever been. And yes, still 'my babies.'"

Paul Garrity remarked, "I sure agree with Weird Al. I have the exact same feelings about my two sons. I love them dearly just as they are, but miss those sweet little boys they used to be." Danielle Fields shared, "I’m in my mid-40s and have often thought this about my own kids. Never considered it from my mother’s perspective. Then just the other day, she said, 'I wish you could be little again, just for one day.'" Lisa Douglass expressed, "I feel the exact same way! I love my kids at each stage, but knowing I will never rock them to sleep again or hear their toddler babbles makes me wish each stage had lasted a little bit longer."