What is the best advice a parent ever gave you?

[karencantobe]

My mum said never to marry someone if you thought - if only they did not do x.

My grandmother said your children are only on loan to you, make the most of them

My dad just before I started at uni:

"If you have sex with a boy check his laptop is closed so he can't film you"

Actually

My mum always says ‘cut your cloth to fit’

Not sure why there is the word "actually" at the end my post!

My mum told me that having a puppy was like having a baby in terms of work and lack of sleep. She was spot on.

Pick your battles!

My very good friend told me ‘Never underestimate what your kids will get up to’, DS15 seems like a good kid, not caused any issues yet, maybe that’s to come!?’

She made an appointment for a financial advisor for me when I was 22 in my first job and strongly advised me to start a pension. I’m so glad now.

Don't marry a jealous man
Don't marry a mean man
Marry someone whose worst fault you can tolerate.

Never rely on a man for money, always have your own income. My Mother’s words, she married four times.

The best advice I got was

"Advice about pregnancy/birth/parenting is like advice about makeup. What is perfect for one person would be ridiculous for another"

Not from my parents but one of the most useful pieces of information I have ever been told by a doctor: never let ds go barefoot, always always has to wear socks. (He used to go barefoot at night) Don't let him eat cold food, no yoghurts no ice creams.
It drastically removed the amount of chest infections/croup/hospitalisation due to asthma when I took this advice.

Get a hot glue gun, it's the one thing you'll use more than anything else, forever.
Spot on.

'School is the best days of your life'

Hated school at the time but I'd give anything to go back now.

You can only do your best and no one can ask for more than that

Feel the fear and do it anyway

To move my TV from one side of the room to the other. Its much better.
My parents dont really give advice much.

“Don’t try to breastfeed, decide you’ll breastfeed. Because if you’ve got an out in that first two weeks, you’ll take it. Have no formula, no back up plan, and think again after 2-3 weeks.”
She was right, and it saw me through to breastfeeding all 3 kids. My best friend who already had kids.
Also
“Sleep whenever you can and never climb the stairs empty-handed”
My midwife.

Go see the world....

Get an education .

You can't change the hand you are dealt, only the way you play it

Grew-up with my grand parents. My grand father told me : words are cheap so ignore what individuals tell you , concentrate on what they do. And my grand mother , who taught me to speed-read and touch-type, her advice was : know where you are going, know what you are doing and aim high.

"If you can't be good be careful"

And "never trust a man with a motorbike"

Some good ones here.

At about age 11, my best friend's mum told her "be yourself". It's a measure of how messed up I already was that I didn't understand it ("but how should I be?")

Great advice in general though.

Don’t do anything you could be blackmailed for.