12 Great Lessons My Parents Taught Me

My parental units are pretty awesome! Lately, I’ve really been thinking about parenting and the important lessons I learned growing up. I am so grateful for these lessons because they have shaped me into the person I am today.

I’ve also been thinking about how I am still learning from my parents. It’s interesting how gaining an adult perspective changes things. Now, I also see how important it is to pass on these life lessons.

I’ve included both serious and humorous lessons for you to provide a more well-rounded frame of reference. So, in no particular order, here are 12 Great Lessons My Parents Taught Me.

 

Lesson #1. Your Spouse Should Be Your Best Friend

My mother and father are best friends; they do everything together. Of course they have other friends, but their spouse is the Best Best Friend.

I grew up knowing that as normal so I found it odd when I was older and ran into couples whose significant other was not their best friend. As I got to know these couples, it seemed as if their other friendships got in the way of their relationship’s intimacy. And as the years went on, these relationships ended up not lasting.

Now, perhaps yours may be the exception to my observations. However, I decided not to risk it and asked for a husband who would be my best friend, and if you ask me, it was a pretty good decision.

Lesson #2. Save Money Through DIY

I can’t even count the amount of projects my sisters and I helped with growing up. Though I can’t speak for my sisters, I really enjoyed helping with all of those projects.

In high school, I became aware of how much money my parents saved by completing projects themselves. They built their own house, an addition, playhouses, two barns, and multiple chicken coops. They also fixed their own cars most of the time. This doesn’t even touch it though.

My dad was working most of the time after coming home from his job (and after his quick 15 min nap in the blue recliner). This was passed on to me and we’ve saved so much by doing DIY on our fixer upper.

 

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Lesson #3. Be Quick to Help

No matter the time of day, if someone called needing help, my parents would answer. It didn’t matter if someone needed to borrow the trailer or needed manual labor help, they were there.

I believe they are some of the most giving people around. I hope that my husband and I can do the same.

 

Lesson #4. Never Leave a Drive-Thru Without Checking Your Order

I used to get frustrated with my husband when he would grab food on the way home and the order would be wrong. Ummm…. Lucas, did you not immediately check the order before driving off like my family always did?

But don’t worry, I have slowly molded him into a man who checks the drive-thru order before leaving the lot. (Mom told me after proofreading this that they learned Lesson #4 based on experience as well.)

 

Lesson #5. Dance to Footloose & Be Silly

“This old lady can move.” – Mom

Now this doesn’t have to specifically be Footloose, but you should dance, dance, dance. And I don’t mean the pretty dancing, I mean ugly wild getting rid of stress having fun dancing.

Oh, how I wish I had a video of my mom’s Footloose dancing. But wait, I may have a video of our Christmas decorating jam.

And be silly. Have a goofy laugh at the word “poop” and make crazy faces for pictures. We definitely got our crazy faces from mom.

 

Lesson #6. Education is Important

I’m not sure exactly how they did it, but my parents produced three girls who all have Master’s degrees. I remember them valuing education and being involved, but they didn’t get all out of sorts when we didn’t have perfect scores. And they never put pressure on us for a certain path; it didn’t have to be college, just as long as we could be self-sufficient.

Oh, they did give us $0.25 for each A on a report card and that changed to $1.00 for high school. Additionally, they emphasized reading, being creative, and exploring the outdoors. I believe it was a combination of these things and modeling a hardworking attitude that made our education successful.

 

Lesson #7. If You’re Good Enough, Some Safety Precautions Don’t Matter (jk)

I’ve put this one in here for a little humor.

One September, I was away and my father came down to help Lucas build a shed in the backyard. I asked Lucas how it went. He said he was nervous the whole day because my dad was doing some wild stuff with the electric tools.

What do you mean, I asked? Well, one time, he put a board over his right leg, stepped on it with his left, then circular sawed it off on the right hand side. Another time, he was hanging off the edge of the roof sawing away.

Yes, my dad has had some accidents, but he has saved a lot of time by knowing what he’s doing and doing it well. Now of course, if he were to see me do something like that, I’d get a talking to. So, for humor’s sake, I’m adding this, but please don’t take it as advice.

 

Lesson #8. Spring Clean and Make the Kids Help

This one is for my mom. Somehow, she made spring cleaning slightly enjoyable. Whether it was the dancing (see #5) or the enthusiastic attitude, she somehow got the girls on board to completely deep clean the house every spring.

We also had regular chores to complete. We didn’t get paid for chores but my parents would let us shop and would give us money for food with friends.

I believe this taught us a sense of responsibility and cleanliness.

 

Lesson #9. Drive With Your Eyes Far Ahead on the Road

It drives me absolute nuts when I ride with someone and they look at the road just over the hood. The wheel is adjusted every second and they do not know what is coming ahead.

So, look as far ahead on the road as possible. This makes you a better defensive driver since you can see if anything bad is going to happen and your driving will be smoother.

 

Lesson #10. Country Slang and Accents are OK

One of my biggest regrets from my childhood is correcting my dad’s country slang. And I know there are more of you out there like me because I’ve talked to many people who agree.

So here is my takeaway for any young ones (or old if you haven’t got the drift) who are reading this: Country Slang and Accents are OK. So what if you say “chimley” instead of “chimney” or “warshrag” instead of “washcloth”. And by golly, if it is not definitely ok to say “ya’ll”.

It’s like how we know now that the concept of a cultural melting pot is incorrect; the correct idea is a salad. We all have our separate cultures but we can still work together to create something delicious. (And country is the dressing.)

So hang on to your identity. You can be educated and professional without losing the words and accent that raised you.

 

Lesson #11. Be Messy and Creative

This is a big one! My sisters and I were allowed to be super creative growing up. We were given science and arts kits and came back muddy from playing outside. My favorite is that my parents let me paint murals around the house.

Don’t get me wrong, they didn’t let us just leave it there; we were taught to help clean up our own messes.

And this doesn’t just apply to childhood (see research); being creative and messy as an adults can be essential for problem solving and stress relief.

So as Ms. Frizzle always said, “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” (Magic School Bus)

Lesson #12. Be Punctual & Attend Family Events

I don’t ever remember being late and now, as an adult, I get real anxious if I am running behind. I think that is a good thing.

Showing up to birthday parties 15 minutes early demonstrates you care. Being early for meetings demonstrates you are professional. My parents always made sure to leave with plenty of travel time.

Also, we attended as many family events as possible. I know it can be really hard to get out and do things, but family and friends are super important. Yes, attending events benefits you, but the important thing is that it gives you a chance to benefit others.

Conclusion

I hope you have enjoyed my 12 Great Lessons My Parents Taught Me. I am sure my experience having great parents is not unique, but maybe it wasn’t your parents, maybe your guardians or friends taught you lessons similar to these.

So what were they? Comment below with the lessons you’re most thankful for.