5 Things Every Mom Should Teach Their Daughters

This post is part of Shapermint’s #WhatSheTaughtMe Mother’s Month campaign, tributing a mother’ wisdom and the lessons they taught us to shape the person we are today.

Last week, we wrapped up our #WhatSheTaughtMe campaign with hundreds of beautiful stories shared over the month to support Help A Mother Out. Women of all ages shared the values that their own mothers instilled in them that they treasure most, and some mamas even shared the things that they hope to pass on to the next generation.

We read each and every one of them and quickly began to see a pattern. There are five things that were consistently mentioned that women generally seem to value most once they are adults and have children of their own. So, if you’re wondering what your daughter (or son!) might appreciate most when they grow up, read on!

1) Confidence

Confidence is a life-long journey of ups and downs for almost everyone, but it doesn’t hurt when you have your mama encouraging you to be proud of who you are throughout your childhood and adolescence (and even adulthood!). Plus, it’s not an easy feat to teach young girls and boys confidence in today’s world.

Emily of @emilyijackson, mama of four daughters, agrees that confidence has been pivotal for her; “Confidence is something my mom has taught me and my three sisters growing up, and it has stuck with us! It is now something that I teach my daughters at an early age, so it sticks with them too!”

Photo shared by Emily Jackson

2) Love and Compassion

Megan of @thebelleofthebudget shares “My mother’s love has no boundaries. She loves me unconditionally, without judgement or thought. I am so happy to have gained this trait from my mom. It is the number one thing I can’t wait to share with my family & future children.”

Photo shared by Megan

Meanwhile, Ali of @alifedotowsky writes that one of the top three things she wants to pass on to her daughter are “that she treats others with compassion - especially those less fortunate than she is.” And Hannah adds: “I want to teach Darcie to be herself and to love herself, to love others how they deserve to be loved and to not accept anything less than the love that she deserves.”

3) Perseverance and Determination

If you haven’t already, go check out the story that Shiquita of @unconventional_southern_belle shared about her mama - an inspiring story of determination and commitment! Her main takeaway of her mom’s story? “To persevere, work hard, always bet on myself and never give up on my dreams.”

Photo by Shiquita | Lifestyle Creator in Myrtle Beach

Sarah Tripp of @sassyredlipstick shares that her mother always taught her to preserve and never give up. “She taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to, which has given me so much confidence to accomplish my goals. I hope to take these lessons and pass them on as I become a mother to our little one,” she posted. @freely_nat adds that her mom instilled those same values, writing that today she knows “how to stand firm in my beliefs and go after what I want.”

4) Self-Love

Self one if the number one thing we believe that we need to instill in all children at a young age and nurture as we grow. And those brought up with moms who taught them just this are the first ones to scream it from the rooftops.

Stephanie of @theblondegirldaily’s mama was never focused on vanity or appearances, which gave Stephanie a chance to be herself endlessly as a young girl; “We never felt pressure to be or look a certain way and that made me learn how to feel comfortable in my own skin. My mom always taught me to love my body and curves no matter what other people would say,” she said.

Stephanie Calise

Christina of @christina_onthedaily also shared a beautiful tribute to her mother, highlighting the self-love she was taught at an early age. “I have always felt beautiful inside and out because of you and now that I am pregnant with a little girl I can’t wait to show her what real beauty is…” Can we get an “awwww”?

Meanwhile, @ayzia_ shared: “My mom has inspired me to be the strong, body-confident woman I am today by always teaching me by example to love me for me and that confidence and kindness will radiate beauty from the inside out.”

These are just a few of the many stories about self-love and body-confidence. Go check out the #WhatSheTaughtMe hashtag to read more! (100% totally worth it, we promise!)

5) Strength and Independence

We believe that every woman should aim to be a strong and independent, and these ladies agree. Maddy (or @maddy_gutierrex_) wrote; “My mom has always been an example to me. Shown me how to be fiercely independent, strong and opinionated and to trust my gut in all things. #WhatSheTaughtMe has shaped me into being the woman, wife and mother that I am today. And I couldn’t be prouder to be who I am and to have her as my BFF.”

Photo shared by Maddy Gutierrez

YES YES YES, so much YES. You guys made this campaign so special to us - we actually closed the campaign with 719 #WhatSheTaughtMe social media posts (that means we’ll be helping Help A Mother Out for each and every single one of them!) and, even though we’re still counting, our sales donation will probably be out of this world. Help a Mother Out - you better get ready. The Shapermint Community is coming!

Thank you to everyone who took part!