At some point, we all experience the moment when our mom’s voice echoes in our head, and we realize (painfully) that maybe she was right. Maybe it’s when you’re shivering outside because you refused to bring a jacket or when you’re completely drained after running on three hours of sleep.
At the time, I brushed off all these little life lessons, convinced I knew better. But after learning the hard way (multiple times), I must admit that I should’ve just listened sometimes.
“Wear a jacket, it’s not embarrassing.”
I don’t know why I was so against bringing a jacket. In high school, I acted like carrying one around was a sign of weakness — like freezing to death was better than being mildly inconvenienced. So, of course, I would leave the house in the dead of winter, convincing myself that my sweater was “enough” or that “I won’t be outside that long anyway.” I’d rather freeze than carry it around, telling myself I’d be fine. I was never fine.
The worst part? My mom knew. Whenever I left the house, she’d ask, “Are you sure you don’t want to bring a jacket?” And every time, I rolled my eyes. Cut to me shivering at the bus stop, deeply regretting my choices. Now, I bring a jacket everywhere. Even if I don’t end up needing it, it’s better than spending the whole night wishing I had.
“You need sleep.”
I think I still struggle with a “sleeping is optional” mentality at times. I love convincing myself that functioning on five cups of coffee and sheer willpower is simply part of the student experience.
What I always fail to think about is how sleep deprivation makes you feel: foggy brain, zero motivation, and irrational irritation over the most minor things.
My mom always begged me to get a whole night of sleep, and I get it now. She may have just been saying it in an effort to save herself from my sleep-deprived tantrums, but sleep truly isn’t a luxury. Now, on the nights I actually get a full eight hours, I feel like a completely different person, and my body thanks me for it as I thank my mom.
“You don’t have to be friends with everyone.”
For the longest time, I thought I had to be friends with everyone. If someone was nice to me once, I felt obligated to keep the connection alive, even when the friendship felt one-sided or forced. My mom always said, “Not everyone is meant to stay in your life forever,” but I didn’t want to believe that. Letting go of friendships felt like failing.
But as I got older, I realized that some people are just meant to be in your life for a season. Friendships shouldn’t feel like an obligation and shouldn’t leave you feeling drained. It’s okay to let go of people who just no longer align with where you’re at in life. The right friendships will feel easy, balanced, and mutual. And honestly? Quality over quantity always wins.
“You probably don’t actually have your life figured out.”
When I was younger, I genuinely believed that I had my entire future mapped out. I thought I had to know exactly what career I wanted, where I wanted to live, and how my life would unfold. My mom would always have to tell me, “You’ll probably change your mind. You’re literally 15, it’s okay.”
I remember being so taken aback in offence to that insight at the time. Looking back, it’s hilarious how convinced I was that I had it all figured out. I’ve changed my mind so many times, and I’ll probably continue changing it — and that’s normal. The pressure to have a clear, step-by-step life plan at such a young age is unrealistic.
“F stands for ‘first attempt in learning.’”
I’ve always been my own worst critic. I vividly remember, at age 10, getting a subpar grade on a math test and then immediately making myself complete three hours of homework to remedy it. If I didn’t do something perfectly the first time, I’d get frustrated and assume I wasn’t good enough.
On the other hand, my mom saw failure as part of the process. “F stands for ‘first attempt in learning,’” she’d say whenever I was upset about a bad grade or a mistake.
It took me a while to understand, but now I see the truth in it. No one masters something on their first try. That mindset shift in my 20s has helped me through post-secondary school more than expected.
“Just clean your room for 10 minutes a day, Please.”
I thought I had to do one big deep clean, but my mom kept saying, “Just do 10 minutes a day.” I remember dramatically rolling my eyes and letting the words fall right through to the other ear, ignoring her.
Shocking result: things got really messy, much faster than anticipated. Now, I see the logic: small efforts make a huge difference, and keeping up with things gradually saves time and stress.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that my mom was right about way more than I gave her credit for. At the time, all of her advice felt unnecessary, dramatic, or just annoying. But looking back, I can see she was just trying to save me from learning things the hard way.
The good news is that I’m finally starting to listen. So, to my mom (and probably yours too): You were right… about most things.