What's the loveliest thing that anyone has ever said to you and it really registered?

When I first started teaching, I had a very stressful lesson with a very difficult class and was close to tears afterwards.

A very experienced and grumpy colleague - who never spoke to anyone and hid behind his newspaper in the staffroom - I didn't think even knew my name - told me that I was a natural and that I had such a lovely calm presence that the children looked forward to coming to my class.

He never really spoke to me again but it didn't half make my day and stopped me being so hard on myself .

I'm training to be a secondary school teacher. One of my low ability set kids asked a tough question today. I told him the answer and started to explain why as best I could for him. I ended with "do you see?" and he paused and said "not really Miss, but it's ok, I trust you." made my heart melt (and I explained it again, with a diagram/example and he got it!)

Sitting in a cafe with my DDs, 4 and 2yo eating cake and baby DD3 bfeeding. I was just chatting with the children, and trying to keep them from making too much noise or mess! An older woman came over from another table on her way out and said: 'My dear what wonderful children! And a wonderful mother. I've been watching the way you actually listen and talk to them. I'm a retired midwife and I miss the babies so much - can I just say forget the housework, forget all the unneccessary chores and keep doing what you're doing? It's over in a flash, though it might not seem like that now.'

I took her advice - my house is a tip, but hopefully my children are happy

Two things come to mind for me; a friend said to me recently "Sidge, you are incredible. You've had so much to deal with lately and you just get on with it; you are a wonderful mum and a fantastic friend and your children are a credit to you."

And the bloke I've been seeing for a couple of months said last week that he felt like he'd won the jackpot meeting me. Given that my marriage broke down due to my husband's ongoing affair with a 26 year old I had the self-confidence and self-esteem of a newt so his comment made me feel lovely

You are lush mummy because you keep all the noise down, drive slowly, always happy and look after me all the time. My DD says this to me several times daily..she has ASD.

She will then say, I hate noise...it hurts my ears, I hate going fast because its dangerous, I don't like sad faces and I hate other people.

This little saying is probably the reason I have never left her overnight, weekends etc since she been born.

My DS (9) and I every night before bed:

Me: Night - love you.
DS: Night Mum, love you more.

And every so often "Mum, I love you more than chips, chinese rice & sweets" !!!

My father and I have always had a difficult relationship, however he has a great relationship with my dh and they speak almost daily. Father and I rarely speak but dh told me that in conversation with him last week he referred to me using a term reserved only for my mother Mum died 10years ago, father adored her (still does) as did everyone who met her, she was the loveliest person you could ever wish to meet. I am always being told I am like my mum but father using that term made me believe he does indeed love me and I'm a nice person.

When I had my first dc at 24 weeks I didnt get a chance to see him as he went to sbcu and I was in theatre with a retained placenta. When the midwife eventually took me down in a wheelchair she announced me as baby X's MUM-a mum! I hadnt thought of myself as a mum up until that point.

Sadly my ds only lived for 10 hours but I have never forgotten that moment.

That I was a 'real tonic' - from one of my old work colleagues.

After having ds other half looking all watery eyed and gushy looked over and said I'm so proud of you
... Was very cute and stuck in my head

I often hear that the mums at school and my DC's teachers refer to me as 'the pretty one with the lovely clothes'. I'm in my early 40's so this is nice to hear

A lovely colleague of mine (and friend) told me I should let my guard down a bit and allow more people to see the real me as he thinks my idiosyncrasies are adoreable... I've no idea why but I remember the conversation that day almost word for word.

I was staying in a hotel and the friend I was with was taking my photo with her very impressive camera. A guy working in the hotel asked if I was doing a modelling shoot! And when my husband asked me to marry him, he said he couldn't wait to have children and if we had daughters, he knew they'd be as beautiful as me. We have three daughters. They are far far more beautiful!

We often get compliments about our children's behaviour when out and about, in restaurants or cafes etc. It's often after a meal where I've only just managed to keep their behaviour under control and am feeling at the end of my tether with them, so is always a lovely thing to hear.

DD gets a lot of compliments about her looks, usually from elderly folk (she is pretty in a very traditional, 'English rose' sort of way). If people then comment on how much she looks like me, then I'm beyond flattered!

It's something a child said when I was about 18 so about 13 years ago now but it's always stayed with me as I've never been terribly confident in my looks at all if that even how he meant it but anyway...I was waiting for a friend outside my local one afternoon- a Woman and get little boy were waking past (he was probably 5/6) he stopped tugged on his mum and said something to her- she giggled turned to me and said her son had asked whether I was a real life princess
Still makes me smile now

Pinot - I will. Though he'll probably shout "no touch" at me (see how well his speech is coming on now ).

Years ago on my way to a night out I had to dash into Sainsbury's (no idea why).

As I approached, the Big Issue seller outside was trying to entice anyone to buy his last copy so he could go home. A group of city types were just taking the piss and he looked so downtrodden. I detoured over, bought his last copy, wished him a good weekend and ran into the shop.

Didn't think much of it other than 'what am I going to do with this?'. As I went in the door I heard him very politely putting the blokes in their place and saying 'that was class, you might have plenty cash but that girl had real class'.

Put an extra wee spring in my step.

Wouldn't be saying that if he'd seen me at closing time but however.

My grandad once told me that I had a heart as big as a bucket and that I was just like my grandma.

Considering he worshiped the ground my grandma walked on, I mean I seriously have never known a man more in love with and devoted to his wife - I have never in my life been paid a bigger compliment by anyone. I didn't deserve it, but it felt lovely that he thought that of me.

ooOoo such a warming thread. Like central heating for my heart.

From a grumpy Uncle, when I had a 2.4 y/old and an 8months old "You have truly exceptional children" And he whispered it as he's never ever been known to give a compliment.

From a MNer who, when I was v upset about a misunderstanding, told me I was the last person she would imagine purposefully hurting anyone as I had a big heart. Made me sob like a baby that did!

Oh and once my DS2 and DS3 had a fight (almost to fisticuffs) as DS2 joked I had farted and it stunk :o (I hadn't acksherly - I was making egg sandwiches!!) and DS3 wouldn't accept I could be smelly as "Mummy smells like flowers and roses". Now, "flowers and roses" is our special saying to each other.

ApplePippa give your DS a squeeze from me later, would you?

When I was a teenager I had massively low self-esteem. I felt really fat, and used to wear black baggy clothing to try & hide my figure. I hated my looks so much. Anyway, one day when I was about 14 I was in a supermarket & an old lady asked me where the ham was. I didn't know & she replied 'well, you might not know where the ham is, but you're a very beautiful girl!'. I looked bemused and she added 'you're lovely!' and walked off. Her words meant so much. The first person ever to say I was beautiful, and 20 years later I still think fondly about her!

My mum is usually very critical of me, everything from my weight, to my hair, and how tidy my house is.

A couple of years ago, my dad had to have a quintuple heart bypass. It was in winter, and we had quite a lot of bad snow.

I took time off work to take my mum to visit him. We had to go by train as the weather was so bad, and she's hopeless with train timetables etc. I packed a flask of Gin and Tonic for the way home, and generally tried to be helpful.

About a month later when my Dad was recovered, he and I did a sponsored walk for the British Heart Foundation. Me, my dad, mum and DH went out for a meal afterwards, where they told me I was a wonderful daughter.

It meant so much to me to hear my mum say that. I've tears in my eyes as I type this!

She's back to bugging me about my weight now though :-)

When I was dating an ex ( and had zero self esteem) a lovely female friend of his said "You've got such a beautiful face. It's really beautiful, such lovely colouring too".

That was fifteen years ago and it still makes me smile. I had never ever thought I was even pretty until she said that. God bless you Lisa. You made such a difference to me.

PS DH tells me he loves me every single day. That's lovely too.