From the article: Life Lessons I Learned From My Mother
Share Post: Our parents are our first teachers. Here is your opportunity to share with others the important lessons your mother taught you. What lesson did your mom instill in you that you are especially grateful for? Was it a tough lesson to learn? Are you teaching your children the same values you learned from your mother? Please share. Share Lessons from Mom
How to Punish Kids
- I know it sounds like a weird topic but my mother always taught me never to punish my kids in a way that punished me too. Extended groundings? I'll have to stay in with them. Make sure that they are disciplined but that it fits the "crime" and that they are the ones paying for it.
- —Guest Robin
Gifts from Mom and Grandmothers
- The old saying "the hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world" leaves a lasting gift to our worlds. I'll spare the stories and get to the heart of the matter. As different as they all were they taught us this: You don't need money to be happy; Prayer is key and eternal; All creatures great and small; Before there was "new-age" we learned old age arts/medicinals/healing alternatives, music, herbals, natures gifts, and lo and behold, they are returning. I don't have the certification. I am tickled to have the hands on and love that went into those years of teaching and learning. Family, friends, love and patience first. A penny saved is a penny earned. Never start a fight, but nip it in the bud if ya' have to; Flowers make a room and a heart brighter; Humor, honesty, drive and perseverance of a soul is important. Take time to feel life and nature.(this is the old fashion way of meditation). There is always room for one more at the table. God Bless em' all
- —Guest Guest Elaine
My great grandmother
- Not many people remember much about their great grandmothers but mine lived until I was in college so my memories are vivid and strong. She was a strong woman of devotion to family and to GOD. She had raised through many a hardship 7 children. Her wisdom was wise and given with love. She gathered items from her garden and fruit from the trees (canned them of course), in handmade dresses and aprons and bonnets, which were made on her tredle sewing machine. She made quilts with loving stitches. She mended hurts with peroxide, iodine and band-aids. She mended hearts that were broken, with love and understanding, along with lots of compassion and hugs and kisses. Her advice was ALWAYS right, how did she come upon such wisdom? Its been 36 years since she went to heaven. I know she is there, she never missed a day without prayer and BIBLE reading. All the lessons she taught, all the hurts she mended, all the love she gave, for all the great cooking, she will never ever be forgotten.
- —nemenhah
Family First
- My Mother was born in Italy. As a small girl of 12 she and her sister walked miles to get to work. Yes, she was only 12, her sister not much older. They carried their lunch which was whatever was left over from the night before. Sometimes that wasn't much. She and her sister shared what little there was. She came to America to meet my Dad when she was 36. She traveled with my 2 brothers and myself. Not knowing one word of English and never even setting foot out of her little town she somehow managed to get us here safely. She never did have much in her lifetime. My Dad seemed to have one accident after another. My sister was born at a time when things were at their worst but for all of us she was a blessing. My Mother always taught us to respect and be kind to each other. She said that when all else failed we could always count on each other. We are all older now and are still very close and supportive of each other. We have taught our own children the same thing. Family first!
- —Guest Ann
Faith, Music, and Strength
- My mother taught me how to pray. She was always playing the stereo and she would go with me to the record store to pick put the latest singles. So now I have music as my stress reliever. She taught me how to be strong and independent. She encouraged me to go to college and to be financially independent. I developed my fashion sense from her as well. So, thank you mom for doing your best for me. Love you always and forever.
- —Guest Judy
Learning How to Choose
- My mom taught me two valuable lessons about choices. First, she said that you never offer a small child "anything." Instead offer two choices, either of which would be acceptable. Never say, for instance, "What do you want to wear?" but instead ask, "Do you want to wear this or that?" A child would easily choose something totally inappropriate, the grubby play jeans for church, if the first way was used. The other "choice lesson" enabled me NOT to become a picky eater. We were "allowed" to not like three things when growing up. Because of that, I and my siblings like nearly every food, yet this showed respect for HONEST dislikes. My daughter also was allowed "3 dislikes." Both she and I now have overcome the dislike of one or two of those foods.
- —skudderbotch1
Always Take Vacation
- My grandma M. said to always take your vacation. Even if you are broke, toss a sleeping bag in the car and take off for new horizons, and camp by the side of the road if necessary. She was a hard worker her whole life in low-paying jobs. She didn't believe in waiting for retirement to get out and explore, as many of her friends did. It was a good thing she didn't wait, as she died in her early 60's. We were happy she had taken her own advice! Don't wait to live your life, enjoy it now!
- —Guest Wendy
Age Doesn't Matter
- Each of my grandmothers taught some good lessons by example. One grandmother went back to school when she was 79 to get her GED -- from her I learned it's never too late to learn. My other grandmother just turned 93. Although living in a retirement community for 3 years now she remains active -- walks without a walker (something her younger fellow residents find amazing), drives a pickup truck (daytime only to the corner store and back these days), and started playing bingo when she was 90. Despite health problems/accidents off and on for years she's remained active and has never let it get her down (at 88 she once spent hours alone in the garage with her hand trapped under the hood of the truck... but she stuck it out til someone found her!). I intend to follow her lead in staying active, independent, and engaged in life -- age is just a number.
- —Guest Ann
Perseverance
- My mother raised myself and sister on her own. I saw my mom struggle and overcome it all. She even went back to school and earned her degree while working in a mill. Cry if you must, but then make pull up your boot straps and make a plan.
- —Guest Renee
Family First
- My mother died a couple of months ago at the age of 92. After my father died 10 years ago, my mother came to live with me. My mother came from a large and loving family, and both of my parents shared a high level of concern and caring about their families. When I remember her life now, I can see that she taught by example, and I have tried to follow in her footsteps. When I was a child, we always spent vacations with family members. We got to know our grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I think the most important thing I learned from her was to put family first. Despite all the distractions of everyday living, there was never a time when she didn't think first of her family and how to meet the needs of family members. She did whatever was necessary to care for family members and to keep in contact with everybody who lived far away. She recorded much of the family history so that it wouldn't be lost. She loved spending time with her family and was involved until the end.
- —Guest Jean
Self-Reliance
- My mother raised me to be self-reliant. She taught me from a very early age how to fill my basic needs without relying on others. But more importantly, she taught me to not rely on outside influences to figure out how I feel about any given issue. She taught me to think for myself, to always question, and to take the road less traveled whenever it suits me (which I have found to be much of the time). Because of her influence, I lead a fulfilling life. People admire me for what they perceive as my "fearlessness" and independence. My fondest hope as a mother myself is to pass this free-thinking and self-reliant attitude on to my own kids.
- —Guest Natalie
Patience, Forgiveness and Love
- I wish that I could have half of the patience as my mother does. She never gets upset at the slow driver in front of her. She never belittles or thinks poorly of anyone. In her eyes, everyone has the best intentions even when the outcome doesn't show it. She glows with love, and people are drawn to that glow. Someday, I hope I can be more like my mom.
- —Guest Jen
Ingenuity
- My mother taught me that you can do anything you want to do. When we were young we didn't have a lot of money so she learned to do things that she couldn't afford to pay someone else to do. For example, she learned how to cut our hair, she sewed our clothes, she helped my dad do home improvement projects on their own, and all with professional results. The list doesn't end there, not even close. She taught me to cook, play the piano, oil paint, and make my own Halloween costumes. My mother has made wigs, ceramic dolls, constructed doll houses and upholstered furniture, she currently illustrates children's books. I do many of these things myself and when my five year old comes up with a crazy scheme, my husband rolls his eyes and says, "Yeah right." but I say, "Okay, lets figure out how."
- —khayesrn
Mom is my hero.
- The most important life lesson my mother has taught me is to always find courage and be independent. Through her own life she taught me this. She was disowned from her family at the age of 22 when she discovered she was pregnant with me. In the 1st year of my life she was a single parent since my Dad could not be with us for that first year. She started her career at the lowest ranks and in 25 years, she worked her way up to became a legendary expert in her field with one company. After 22 years of marriage, she made a very hard decision to separate from her life long love, my Father, who had become an alcoholic over the years. She returned to school to graduate from college at the age of 40. About 3.5 years ago she suffered a serious stroke and in one year she learned how to walk, talk, drive, dress, cook again. Mom has a courageous and independent spirit. She is not only my best friend, but she is my very personal and real hero. Her lessons have developed my strong character.
- —jamminr
