🌷 Y'all's moms give great advice

Plus, setting boundaries with family

View this email online Photo Illustration by Becky Harlan/NPR Hi all,  This week my sisters and I ordered my mom flowers to be delivered on Mother’s Day (this is your reminder that Sunday is Mother’s Day!). But instead of arriving on Sunday, they arrived early today. I don’t mind – I like that my mom will have flowers all weekend. Besides, it isn’t so much about the day itself but the gesture of appreciation. Of course, Mother’s Day isn’t all bouquets and tokens of gratitude. The day can be fraught – a reminder of loss of all kinds. However you’re spending Mother’s Day, we wanted to celebrate the multitude of ways motherhood can shape our lives by sharing words of wisdom from all sorts of mothers — moms, stepmoms and grandmothers. A while back, we asked Life Kit readers for your best advice. We got hundreds of responses, and in many, we saw a common advice-giver: mom. And today, we’re sharing some of those words. Responses have been edited for length and clarity.  Newsletter continues after sponsor message “The more people who become involved in a disagreement, the less likely it is to be resolved.” – Jenny Hougendobler “There is nothing wrong with a C on your report card as long as you are searching for your gifts.” – Lori Wardian "Don't ever rely on a man for your financial security. This was advice from my mom in the 1960s. She was a career woman and a feminist. My dad was sporadically employed. When I started working, she encouraged me to contribute the max to my 401k before I really understood what a 401k was.” – Meegan Holland “My grandmother used to tell me, when things got bad in my life, not to worry because ‘it all comes out in the wash.’ ” – Ralph P. Fontcuberta, III “My mom always said, ‘If you treat people the way you want to be treated, you”ll never have trouble sleeping.’ ” – Roberta Bruhn “When I was raising teenagers, [my mom] told me that teenagers are on a roller coaster full of ups and downs — but that as tempting as it would be to get on the ride with them, it would be better for all of us if I stayed on the ground.” – Kelly Ramsey “When I was growing up, I asked a lot of questions, and my mom always said, ‘You’re smart. Figure it out.’ This got me to dig deeper and believe in myself. As a parent now, I’m pretty sure she just wanted me to stop bothering her, but it made me a more confident and competent human, so I’ll take it!” – Elizabeth Shen “Twenty years ago, I was a single mom raising two kids, ages 8 and 6. I had a full-time job and a long commute. My stepmom told me, ‘Don’t be afraid to ask for help.’ It worked. A little bit of help here and there from a friend or neighbor took the edge off a challenging day.” – Gail Webber “From my mom: ‘Pretty doesn't buy the groceries.’ While not super helpful in the moment, [and] usually said when I was concerned about clothes, she was right. Growing up as a teen girl, the focus on beauty was extreme, and my mom's feminist perspective has helped shape my lens of the world.” – Sarah Switzer “My mom always said when I was complaining about someone, ‘It takes all kinds of people to make a world.’ ” – Judy Peters “My mom told me that if something scares you, you should probably do that thing.” – Andrea Brannon ⬇ Keep scrolling for more Life Kit Access Sponsor-Free Episodes Want to support our show? Try a subscription to Life Kit+ and get all the tips and tricks you love sponsor-free! Learn more at plus.npr.org/lifekit.  Learn More More NPR for Mother's Day 💐 How to arrange supermarket flowers like a pro. Whether you forgot to order flowers for that special occasion or just want to flex a new creative muscle, here's how to DIY a beautiful bouquet with grocery store flowers. 🤝 Parents are people, just like you. Here's how to have an adult relationship with them. When it comes to having an adult relationship with your parents, there's plenty of baggage: the friction of family history and the weight of unsaid expectations. Here's how to set healthy boundaries and understand generational trauma to help you have a grown-up relationship with your parents. 🛑 How to set boundaries with family — and stick to them. Maintaining healthy boundaries is a way of caring for your closest relationships, but setting those boundaries with family can be tricky. The process starts with honestly asking yourself what you need. 💌 What to do if you, or someone you love, is going through pregnancy loss. Despite how common pregnancy loss is, families often suffer in silence. Here are stories from parents who have experienced loss and expert advice about how to support loved ones through grief.  🍉 If you're 40, it's time to start mammograms every other year. That’s according to new draft recommendations on breast cancer screening. The disease is treatable when caught early, and mammograms, which are X-ray images of breasts, are a reliable screening test to detect it. ⏳ Coming up on Life Kit 🕑 👚 Thrift like a pro  🏡 Make friends after moving  🐂 How to harness your anxiety  Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: LifeKit@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Code Switch, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Life Kit emails. 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