Celebrity moms and their best advice for their daughters

March 08, 2018

Pink and Willow Sage Hart

Being a little weird is a good thing

There's nothing quite as cute as the sweet moments between Pink and her daughter, Willow. As an outspoken feminist and talent in the entertainment industry, Pink has a lot of advice for her daughter. Speaking to Cosmopolitan earlier this year, the mother of two shared a funny question Willow, 6, once asked her, "She said to me the other day, ‘How many boys can I have at once?’ And I said, ‘Excuse me?’ I said, ‘Probably none of them because they won’t deserve you.'"

Continuing with some expert advice, Pink went on: “They have to kind, respectful. They have to be chivalrous, they have to be good to their moms. They have to be good looking, they have to be funny.”

But beyond love from a significant other, Pink had some major words of wisdom for self-love, “Another very important thing I tell my daughter is it’s very fun to be weird and it’s very boring to be normal. I have a rule with Willow that we don’t say mean things and we don’t say things we don’t mean.”

Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber</h2>
<h4>Stay true to yourself</h4>
Cindy and her mini-me Kaia, 16, have a lot in common. Aside from their identical looks, they're both captivating models who own the catwalk. Naturally, Kaia's mom had some epic words of wisdom for her.
<p>Speaking with <i>E! News</i>, Cindy shared that she gives Kaia the same advice her mom gave her: "My mom always just told me to stay true to myself and be myself, and I think people don't remind girls that enough," she remarked. "I think people might try to change themselves a lot in this industry."
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h2>Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise</h2>
<h4>Inner beauty is key</h4>
Katie Holmes prefers to put more emphasis on skills than looks when it comes to raising her and Tom Cruise's daughter Suri, 11.
<p>Speaking to <i>The Sunday Times</i>, Katie shared, "As a mother, I'm pretty much imparting what my mother and grandmother taught me. We'll have fun with lip gloss and all those things, and my daughter will grow up and wear it like we do, but I try not to put the focus on looks," she said. "It's definitely more about running really fast and reading, that sort of thing."
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

Jada Pinkett Smith and Willow

Always take care of yourself first

While appearing on Red Table Talk, Jada dropped some major life advice for her daughter Willow, 17, who asked her how hard it is to be a wife and mother.

"It's a paradox. Being a wife and mother is probably one of the most extraordinary experiences and the most fulfilling experiences in my life, but at the same time, it has been very difficult to balance being able to do the things I want to do and have the freedoms I want to have," she explained. "I'm constantly, every day trying to figure out that balance ... At the end of the day, the one thing I always want to tell you Willow is ... Life is a journey. Communication creates partnerships. We are here to assist you ... You always have to remember to take care of you first and foremost."

Photo: © Getty Images

Michelle Obama, Malia and Sasha

Support other women

The former First Lady of the United States has her hands in many incredible causes, and is a fierce feminist herself. Having just sent Malia off to college last year, and Malia is well on her way, the two can certainly take a few of their mom's words of advice. Speaking to Glamour, Michelle shared a piece of advice she would've given her 15-year-old self:

“We have to be our best friends – each other. That means we cannot be catty. We cannot compete and see one person’s failure as our success. We can all rise together. We can all win.”

She continued: "We’re sometimes taught in our societies that we have to compete and we have to hold each other back in order for one of us to succeed. That is not true. We need each other. And all over the world, we have to be a team of women and girls who love each other and value each other and cherish one another. Because if we don’t cherish each other, no one else will. So let’s start there and start working together, and find a way that we’re going to lift up some other girl in our lives. Maybe it’s a little sister, a neighbor. But you can be a mentor today. So do that. Do that work now. Get in the habit of that."

Photo: © Getty Images

Blake Lively, James and Ines

Love both sides of the beauty coin

Growing up in the spotlight from a young age, Blake has seen it all. From fashion shows to movie premieres, she's one of the red carpet's most glamorous stars. But for Blake, it's important that her daughters James, 3, and Ines,1, know that there is beauty everywhere.

Blake opened up with some sage advice while speaking to Refinery29 about her L'Oreal campaign, "We have really unrealistic beauty standards and beauty norms. What you’re seeing on red carpets and in magazines takes a lot of effort and a lot of people. People don't understand that it's all very constructed. What little girls are seeing isn’t what [these celebrities] look like when they wake up in the morning — even though it’s no less beautiful," she said.

The actress continued: "There's this awareness of what they’re going to be exposed to and what they grow up seeing. For me, it's important for my daughters to know that it's not real life. They’re seeing me dressed up in all this hair and makeup, but they also see me without that. I want them to see both sides, because there is never just one side."

<h4>Sophie Grégoire Trudeau and Ella-Grace</h4>
<h2>On how to deal with criticism</h2>
Sophie is a well-documented feminist and activist, and is obviously an incredible role model for her children – especially daughter Ella-Grace, 9. While appearing on <i>CTV News</i>, the mother of three opened up about how she thinks girls should deal with criticism.
<p>"Am I completely indifferent to criticism? No, not at all, but I know who I am and I have learned to respect and care for who I am." She said she encourages young girls to always check in on themselves by asking questions, "Who are you? Are you kind to yourself? Are you compassionate or are you always criticizing yourself?"
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

<h4>Victoria Beckham and Harper</h4>
<h2>Worry less about looks and more about empowerment</h2>
The mother of four and former Spice Girl is one of the hottest clothing designers in the fashion world today - but she knows what's most important when it comes to raising her daughter.
<p>On International Women's Day two years ago, the designer shared an image on Instagram that reads, "Teach your daughters to worry less about fitting into glass slippers and more about shattering glass ceilings," along with the hashtags "#inspire", "#empower" and "#dreambig".
<p>Photo: © Getty Images

Reese Witherspoon and Ava Phillippe

On finding a partner who treats you right

Having been in the limelight for many years, Reese knows a thing or two about navigating Hollywood as a fiercely independent professional – and has some amazing advice for her daughter, 18-year-old Ava Phillippe, too!

“When you’re in your 20s, you think you know everything about love,” the Oscar winner told Us magazine when Ava was only 11 years old. “Then you get to your thirties and realize you don’t know anything and that anything is possible! It is important to be with somebody who’s nice to you and treats you well. You know, mom advice.”

And now, eight years later, the Big Little Lies star has even more wisdom under her belt to pass along to her daughter. In November 2017, Reese spoke about feminism and misogyny in Hollywood to Glamour magazine, saying: "Run away from a man who can't handle your ambition. So many men think ambition is awesome and sexy!"