The best advice mothers can give
Whether you share everything, fight like crazy or miss her terribly, the importance of this special woman is never in doubt. You may have been raised by your grandma or look up to a wise woman mentor... whoever she is, you remember her insights on life – whether you followed them or not!
Mum’s the word
To celebrate motherhood in all its joyful, messy, imperfect glory, we asked BHG readers to share their mums’ time‐honoured pearls of wisdom. Feel free to use them yourself and pass them on to your kids or grandkids!
"Never turn up to someone’s house empty-handed. Always bring a little something, even if it’s just flowers picked from your garden."
- Jackie, 46, Katherine, NT
"When my husband proposed, my mother said, 'Elope. I’ll give you $10,000 if you do.' Her friend’s daughters had outrageously expensive weddings and she thought giving us $10,000 would be cheaper and save us all the planning. We didn’t listen but I wish we had. We could have taken a fabulous honeymoon with that money. We’re about to celebrate our 20th anniversary and we’ve still never been on our honeymoon!"
- Donna, 53, Batemans Bay,NSW
"Be kind to everyone you encounter. Give people the benefit of the doubt most of the time, unless their eyes are too close together!"
- Meg, 38, Coffs Harbour, NSW
"I sometimes struggled in school and my mum always told me, “Grades are fleeting, one day they won’t matter at all. It’s much more important to have a kind and loving heart. That’s worth more than all the good grades on earth.” I miss her so much!"
- Ellen, 45, Capalaba, Qld
"My mother always said, 'If you need something, go get it yourself. If you want something done, go do it yourself.' Those words stuck and helped me become a strong, independent woman."
- Julie, 46, Wangaratta, Vic
"My dad gave me much better advice. Usually it was, 'Don’t tell your mum!'"
- Lisa, 31, Redcliffe, Qld
"My mother was a raunchy redhead (although not a natural one). Whenever she dyed her hair at home, she would tell me, 'Mix a double batch and have a snatch to match!'"
- Alison, 55, Balgowan, SA
"My mum used to say, 'If everyone jumped off a cliff, would you do it too?' I heard those words so often growing up that they became ingrained in my psyche. They gave me the confidence to be a leader rather than a follower."
- Elsa, 70, South Yarra, Vic
