17 Mom Quotes That Are Loaded with Valuable Life Lessons

My mom always used to say, “Life doesn’t come with a manual, it comes with a mother.” Boy, was she right (as moms always are)! Wikipedia may have cornered the market on random knowledge, but moms are the greatest source of information when it comes to the truly valuable life lessons and things we really need to know. Need proof? Check out these mom quotes that prove my point.

Short Mom Quotes & Sayings That Are Just So True

Just like the grandparent’s quotes, we’ll start with some of the short and sweet things that moms always say. Sure, we rolled our eyes at them as kids, but now we know just how right they really are!  Then, we’ll check out some brilliantly true quotes from famous and historical moms that are just so incredibly loaded with life lessons.

1. “There’s no use crying over spilled milk”

One of my favorites is really a double life lesson. First, don’t cry over the little things. Spilled milk (real or metaphorical) takes two seconds to clean up and doesn’t affect your life beyond that. Second, don’t obsess over things you can’t change. Instead, clean yourself up and get a new glass of milk!

2. “Wait until you have children of your own.”

She may have meant it as a warning, but she was so right. The moment you become a mom yourself, you suddenly realize that everything she ever said was spot on.

3. “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.”

I can’t say anything nice about people who don’t listen to this advice, so I’ll do as my mom says and not say anything at all! Sometimes it’s just better to stay silent.

4. “If someone doesn’t love you for who you are, that’s their problem, not yours.”

In other words, don’t ever let someone make you feel like less of a person just because they don’t like you. It’s on them, not you.

5. “If your friends jumped off a cliff, would you do it, too?”

This was mom’s way of reminding us to think for ourselves. Never just go with the flow, because that flow can take you right over a cliff.

6. “There is no pillow so soft as a clear conscience and a heart at peace.”

In other words, live a life that never gives you a reason to feel guilty and you’ll sleep like a dream.

Quotes from Famous Moms That Are Loaded with Valuable Life Lessons

No explanation is needed with these famous mom quotes. They speak volumes all on their own!

7. Motherhood is the one job where your goal is to become obsolete

“Kids don’t stay with you if you do it right. It’s the one job where, the better you are, the more surely you won’t be needed in the long run.”
― Barbara Kingsolver

8. The more we understand, the less we fear

“Nothing in life is to be feared, it is only to be understood. Now is the time to understand more, so that we may fear less.” Marie Curie

9. Courage is our greatest form of protection

10. Never let the darkness around you dim your life’s light

“Life is a hard battle anyway. If we laugh and sing a little as we fight the good fight of freedom, it makes it all go easier. I will not allow my life’s light to be determined by the darkness around me.” – Sojourner Truth

11. Leave this world a better place than you found it

“Leave every place you go, everything you touch, a little better for your having been there.” -Julie Andrews

12. Perfection is accepting your flaws

“Being perfect is being flawed, accepting it, and never letting it make you feel less than your best.” – Jessica Alba

13. Kindness is its own reward

“Carry out a random act of kindness, with no expectation of reward, safe in the knowledge that one day someone might do the same for you.” – Diana, Princess of Wales

14. Words have power. Learn to use yours.

“Once you can express yourself, you can tell the world what you want from it. All the changes in the world, for good or evil, were first brought about by words.” Jackie Kennedy

15. The courageous never accept defeat

“When life seems hard, the courageous do not lie down and accept defeat; instead, they are all the more determined to struggle for a better future.” -Queen Elizabeth II

16. Spread love everywhere you go

17. Never worry about being liked

“Worry about being respected, never worry about being liked because that’s the trap.” -Jada Pinkett Smith

Meaningful Quotes About Moms

As a little bonus, keep reading for some wonderful quotes about moms! Go ahead and put them in that thank you card she definitely deserves for teaching you all those valuable life lessons!

18. There’s no deeper bond…

“Mothers and their children are in a category all their own. There’s no bond so strong in the entire world. No love so instantaneous and forgiving.” —Gail Tsukiyama

19. Believe in a mother’s love for her children

20. A mother’s love leaves a mark that protects us forever

“Love as powerful as your mother’s for you leaves its own mark … to have been loved so deeply .. will give us some protection forever.” —J.K. Rowling

21. A hug from your mom lasts forever

“A mom’s hug lasts long after she lets go.”

22. Moms are truly our #1 cheerleaders

“Moms are life’s number one cheerleaders without uniforms.” —Richelle E. Goodrich

23. They make leaning unnecessary

24. She loves us more than pie!

“A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie.” —Tenneva Jordan

25. Mom’s hope outlives everything else

“Youth fades; love droops; the leaves of friendship fall; A mother’s secret hope outlives them all.” —Oliver Wendell Holmes

I hope you enjoyed these mom quotes and sayings, and that you learned something from them!