Mother Knows Best! Nicole Kidman, Marie Osmond and More Stars Share Lessons From Their Moms

Kate Hudson

Lesson: Follow Your Bliss

It could have been tough following in the Oscar-winner’s shoes, but Goldie Hawn never pressured her kids to succeed.

“What makes mom the best is that she never put any expectations too high on the kids,” said Kate Hudson, 46. “She just wanted us to be doing the things that made us happy, as long as we were working hard, but we never had to live up to something.”

Nicole Kidman

Lesson: Make Yourself a Priority

In their last conversation, Nicole Kidman’s mother Janelle, who passed away last fall, urged her daughter to be mindful of her own needs.

“I was going to get on a plane and go back to see her [in Australia],” Nicole, 57, told CBS Sunday Morning. “And she was like, ‘Maybe wait a minute. Because I think, you know, you just need to take care of yourself right now, Nikki.’”

Tracee Ellis Ross

Lesson: Be Daring

When Tracee Ellis Ross was growing up, her mother, Supremes alum Diana Ross, set an example on how to live out loud.

“The bigger the better,” she told Tracee, 52, who took mom’s words to heart in her career, self-expression and embrace of her natural beauty.

Dolly Parton

Lesson: Know Your Abilities

“The first piece of advice I would give to a young artist is the same advice my mother gave to me, ‘To thine own self be true,’” Dolly Parton told Harper’s Bazaar about wisdom her mother Avie Lee passed on. “Know who you are, know what your talent is, and be willing to work for it.”

Reba McEntire

Lesson: Remain Mindful

“I could write a book on good advice momma gave me,” said Reba McEntire of her late mom, Jacqueline. Some of her favorites: “Always be on time and be prepared. Don’t hold other people up, since their time is very valuable.”

Laura Dern

Lesson: Support Others

“My mother is very open minded, and I learned to meditate when I was eight years old,” Laura Dern told NPR of Diane Ladd, who brought her into the Catholic church but shared her belief in women’s autonomy. “My amazing mother and grandmother would say that to be religious, to be spiritual, means to be endlessly supportive of anyone’s rights.”

Reese Witherspoon

Lesson: Embrace Happiness

Reese Witherspoon shared on Instagram that her mother Betty “defined her life” by urging her to look on the sunny side.

“Happiness is a gift you give yourself every day,” said Reese, 49. “You have a choice about how to feel about everything that happens in your life.”

Gwyneth Paltrow

Lesson: Don’t Blame Other Women

“I was raised to see other women as friends, not foes,” Gwyneth Paltrow told Vanity Fair, adding that her mom Blythe Danner told her: “Another woman is never your competition.…What is right for you will find you.”

Meryl Streep

Lesson: Savor the Moment

Mary Streep, an artist, urged her daughter to be grateful for every opportunity. “My mother used to say, ‘People would give their right arm to walk down that red carpet,’” recalled Meryl Streep. “Enjoy it!”

Marie Osmond

Lesson: Be Your Best

“My mom told me to never leave home without your lipstick,” Marie Osmond said of her mother Olive. “I still wear lipstick all the time. It’s crazy! She said to try to always look your best. She just really tried to be her best in every way possible, and it carried over to me as her only daughter.”