From Eye-Rolling to Epiphanies: What Our Mothers Knew All Along

This is just a little warning that we’re talking about Moms today. If that’s a painful topic for you, we understand and encourage you to take the emotional space you need around this episode.

Turns out, mom wasn’t blowing off your teenage nonsense when she said, “be careful whom you hang out with” or “one day you’ll miss my nagging.” This episode is for every grownup who finally gets it—plus the hilarious (and humbling) mom wisdom we still ignore.

What You Get From This Episode

1. Mom’s Most Valuable Lessons

• "Clean a little every day" (we agree… in theory)

• "Your coat should cover your skirt hem" (sorry, cropped jacket lovers)

• "Don’t over-pluck your eyebrows" (elder millennials, we see you)




2. Deep Cuts from Reddit

• Why driving in silence is peak adulthood

• How "it’s not you, it’s them" applies to middle school and adulthood

• The life-changing magic of a vertical file box or fireproof envelope




3. Ariella’s Mom Wisdom

• Italian-grandma-approved work/life boundaries ("If I’m clocked out, you’re dead to me.")

• Why a perfect meal is one you have with someone else




4. Caitlin’s Favorite Momisms

• "People are stupid" (it’s not mean, it’s statistical)

• "Do not f* thyself"* (ancient wisdom, modern applications)




5. Your New Mantra

• "They’re not anti-you—they’re pro-them." (road rage therapy, unlocked)

Listen Here

Life Lessons From Your Mother: 4 Ways She Was Right (And It Hurts)

Confession: We spent years rolling our eyes at mom’s advice. It took us a long time to realize that she wasn’t just being dramatic. This Mother’s Day, we’re fessing up to the wisdom we ignored. It's the life lessons that clicked when adulthood hit us like a ton of unfolded laundry.

1. Housekeeping: Mom’s Most Annoying (and Accurate) Advice

• “Clean a little every day”: Theoretically brilliant. Practically? Not happening.

• “Hands-and-knees scrubbing is the only way”: A cruel reality for textured floors (and our backs).

• “Organize your damn paperwork”: Fine, Mom. The fireproof document pouch was a good idea.

  
  

2. Beauty & Style: The Tips We Resisted

• Eyebrows: Over-plucking in 2002 = “Whyyyyyyyyy did I do that to myself?”

• Sunscreen: “You’ll thank me later” → [Squints at wrinkles] …Thanks, mom.

• Foundation Necklines: Blending is not optional (unless you want that floating-head look).

  
  

3. Relationships: Mom’s Uncomfortable Truths

• “You can’t change people”: Still bitter about this one.

• “When someone shows you who they are, believe them”: [Cries in ex-boyfriend]

• “It’s not over when you’re sad—it’s over when you’re angry”: A masterclass in emotional math.

  
  

4. Time & Perspective: The Wisdom That Stings

• “The days are long, but the years are short”: Why is my kindergartener suddenly applying to college?!

• “Those kids were just immature”: Turns out middle school bullies don’t run the world (shocking).

  
  

Iconic Momisms We Can’t Escape

Every mom has her signature lines. Ours?

• Caitlin’s Mom: “People are stupid” (brutal but statistically sound).

• Ariella’s Nonna: [Chases kids with wooden spoon] (a love language, honestly).

• Universal Truth: “Wear a jacket!” → [Still freezing at bus stops].

  
  

The Ultimate Mom Win

The kicker? We’ll probably repeat these exact lessons to our kids… who’ll ignore us too. The circle of life (and eye-rolling) continues.

This Mother’s Day, let’s give moms the ultimate gift: “You were right about the sunscreen.”

Big thanks to Reddit for giving us all the insights we needed for this episode. You can read the whole thread here:

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Make good choices,

Caitlin and Jenny (+Ariella, too!)

Tag your mom (or mom friend) with the #MomWasRight moment that haunts you. Extra points if it involves sunscreen regrets!

Sources for this episode

• Reddit/AskWomen (full link here)

• Ariella’s fireproof document pouch: Link on our Favorite Things page

• Vote for Caitlin! Women in Podcasting Awards: Vote here!

  
  

Who We Are

Caitlin & Ariella: Second career starters, current chaos wranglers, and hosts who’ve accepted that mom usually knows best (but still won’t scrub floors on their knees).

Tag us @CKandGKPodcast with your #MomWasRight moment—we’ll feature the best ones!