10 Best Pieces Of Advice Mothers Have Ever Given Their Children

Mothers know us — and love us — in ways that no one (not even us) will ever be able to understand, which is why they are experts at giving the best advice on life and love.

They fed us and nourished us for nine months, gave birth to us, and in some cases, sacrificed goals and dreams in order to give us life.

They’re our biggest cheerleaders and our most constructive critics, who want, more than anything, to see us happy, and healthy, and when the time — and person — is right, they want to see us in love.

They picked us up and dusted us off when we were at our lowest and held a fine light against us to help us shine at our brightest. They’re the gatekeepers of wisdom, and when it comes to the chaos of love and relationships, there’s only one person we’d turn to for advice.

Below, women of all ages share the best advice and tips their mothers gave them about life, love, and really, really fine wine.

1. Birds of a feather flock together.

“My mom told me once that ‘birds of a feather flock together.’ I guess it was kind of her warning, like, if his friends have questionable integrity, so will he. Also, look at who he admires — it says a lot about the kind of man he is.” — Ana

2. The happiest you can be in a relationship is by being independent.

“My mom and sisters haven’t always been the best advice-givers when it comes to relationships, but my mentor (who has always felt like a second mom to me) told me that the happiest I can be in a relationship is by being independent and self-supporting, that way I can be with someone because of love and not because of security and stability.” — Kai

3. Never let a relationship hurt your confidence.

“My mom always tells me the generic stuff that you always hear, but one thing that really sticks with me was right after a breakup when she told me to ‘Never let a relationship hurt my confidence.'”

“It was impossible for me to listen to her at the time, but looking back, it was so important for me to hear that. My relationship didn’t work out, but that didn’t mean I shouldn’t be insecure about myself.” — Jessica

4. You would be able to see a man’s ‘true self when he has a bad hand or when he’s losing.

“Both of my parents are Asian, so their idea of what makes a relationship work isn’t exactly modern or American. My mom told me once that I could tell a lot from a guy’s personality by how he plays the ‘mahjong,’ which is a game of skill, strategy, and calculation. Her point was that I would be able to see a man’s ‘true self’ when he has a bad hand or when he’s losing.”

“She meant that I would be able to see how he handled the tough stuff and how that might translate to our relationship.” — Shannon

5. Don’t trust a man who doesn’t like dogs.

“I’m really close with my mom and her two pieces of advice to me when I started dating were: ‘Don’t trust a guy who doesn’t like dogs,’ and that ‘the way a guy treats his mother is the way he’ll treat you.'” — Mariah

6. You might like wine, but you would never date wine.

“My mom always said: I like wine, but I would never date wine. It’s simple ‘advice,’ but I always thought that it was really funny. It definitely made me think twice about dating a couple of guys.” — Brittany

7. If he’s not having sex with you, you better believe he’s doing it with someone else.

“My mom was never one to offer comforting thoughts — she was definitely more of a tell-it-like-it-is woman. During college, I was dating a guy that loved his beer (to say the least) and our sex life wasn’t all that great. I think my mom picked up on it though, ’cause one day she told me that, ‘If he’s not having sex with you, you better believe he’s having sex with someone else.'”

“Even though she was right about it during that instance, I always applied it to other relationships and how I should trust my gut.” — Casey

8. You need to learn how to love yourself first before you can learn to love anyone else.

“My mom always told me that learning not to be selfish was really hard for her and since we’re a lot alike, it’s something that I’m always conscious of in my relationships. She told me, too, that it was important to have patience and that I needed to learn how to love myself first before I could learn to love anyone else. She was right!” — Aleks

9. Be with someone who loves you more than you love them.

“My older sister has always felt like a second mom, and she’s always been there to give me advice when I need it — especially when it comes to relationships and dating. I know it sounds kind of morbid, but she told me recently that it was important to be with someone who loves me more than I love them.”

“She definitely didn’t mean it like I shouldn’t love the person that I’m with, but just that it’s important to be with someone who’s as head-over-heels about me as I am about them.” — Elisabeth

10. You should think you’re the best person.

“My aunt always told me that the person I chose to be with forever should think of me as their best friend. She’d tell me that I should think they’re the best person and that they must think that I’m the best person. It was the best advice I’ve ever gotten.” — Jenny