My parents have always been the people who I turn to for advice, who have guided me through life decisions, and have helped me to grow as a person. I wish I could say that I was always a perfect child who appreciated the advice when they gave it to me...but I can't. There were definitely times when I could have sworn that they would be wrong and I was going to prove it to them...here are just a few of the many instances when I in fact, was the one who was wrong...and that's a good thing.

1. No boy is worth crying over, and the one that is won't make you cry.

Over the years, my parents have witnessed far too many of my emotional breakdowns regarding relationships and heartbreak in the amount of time that I have been dating. I rarely listened when they told me that whatever boy was making me cry probably wasn't worth it, and most likely wasn't the boy that I was going to marry, because that usually wasn't what I wanted to hear.

As it turns out, this was always proven to be true.

2. If someone is being a dick to you, tell them to "pound sand."

What does this expression mean? That is a question that only my dad can answer. All I know is that is the advice that he has given me every time I have been upset, beaten down, angry, or embarrassed by someone. And while I've never said those exact words to anyone, the phrase itself has given me the strength to stand up for myself when I needed to.

3. Make a list, and check everything off of it.

When I was 15, I told my dad that jumping off the high rocks into the lake at our favorite camp spot was on my bucket list. Later that day we hiked up there and he would not let me leave until I jumped. "It's on the list, so you have to do it," he said. That was all it took to motivate me to reach my goal. A similar thing happened when I wanted to go zip lining and so on for many things thereafter. Forcing me to hold myself accountable for the goals that I set, was just another time that my dad was right.

4. Family functions can actually be fun.

Getting me to go to family functions including but not limited to: my brother's sporting events, weddings, reunions, etc. was a real chore when I was younger. My mom often had to remind me that it was important to support the people that I loved. Now these family gatherings are the times that I look forward to the most. So yes Mom, you were definitely right about that one.

5. Men without shirts is something to be appreciated.

When I was a little kid, I told my mom that shirtless men were disgusting, and she told me that someday I would change my mind. I ate my words when my 13 year old self was cutting pictures of shirtless Zac Efron out of magazines to pin on my wall.

6. There are far better things in life than those that appear behind a screen.

Let me just say that my dad despises technology. When I first got my cellphone, World War III started, and I received many lectures on why my phone was not allowed at the dinner table, why it shouldn't be used at social gatherings, and why Facebook is basically full of lies. Because of this, I'm super conscious of not being on my phone when I'm at a gathering where I can talk to real people instead, it's a huge turn off if a guy takes his phone out while we're on a date, and even I admit that social media can get a little out of hand. There Dad, I said it. You were right, being present is way better than anything that I can find on my phone.

7. Whatever you do, do it well, and if you don't like it, change it.

I have been given this advice an infinite amount of times since I've been in college. Questioning my major and my future career honestly sucks sometimes, but I can't picture myself doing anything else. I have gotten to this point because my parents have continued to give me this kind of support and advice, even when it was hard to hear it.

8. You are always in control of your own life.

When I entered the dating world, my parents gave me several talks about how "no means no" and "you are always in control." I often took for granted how important that was to understand, not only in dating but in other important life decisions. Thank God they continued to tell me this until it finally clicked.

9. It pays to have thick skin and a tender heart.

As a team, my parents have done a wonderful job of teaching me this, and making me believe it. My dad has always been the one to tell me that not everything is worth crying over, and developing a thicker skin might be important in future endeavors (true). Whereas my mom always helped me to remember that even while I worked on getting thicker skin, it was still okay to be sensitive, loving and kind(also true). In fact, that was the best way to be. So yeah, that advice helped me become a better version of me.

10. If there is water running down the side of the shower...There is a plumbing issue.

Unfortunately this advice came after I flooded our basement, but this piece is really on the list as an ode to the many "adulty" things that my parents have taught me, given me advice on, and undoubtedly been right about (because let's be honest, I have no idea what I'm doing).

11. I was good enough.

I went through a tough time my junior/senior year in high school where I was led to think that I would never be good enough for the boy I was dating. As an overly emotional 17 year old, I begin to let myself believe it. During this time, my parents continued to remind me, that I was good enough, the people who were making me feel that way had no right to do so, and they didn't control my life.

What do ya know, they were right about that too, and I am so much stronger now because of it.

12. 10 years from now this won't matter anymore.

Every single time I've been upset about silly drama, this is the advice that I was given.

Every single time, it was right.

Gotta hand it to my parents, their consistency was key to me finally learning these life lessons.

13. Crocs are ugly.

S/O to my mom for not allowing me to own a pair of these shoes when they were trending, no matter how badly I wanted them.

14. Investing in experiences is well worth it.

Sometimes the thought of spending too much money stresses me out (as it should), but there have been a couple of times when it has almost kept me from doing something that I really wanted to do (concerts, road trips, camping, etc). My mom has always helped me choose which events and experiences are worth spending the money on, and boy am I happy that she convinced me to go make those memories.

15. I should clean my room.

I still don't do it, but that doesn't mean my parents aren't right when they tell me that I should.

16. There is truly nothing that a hug from dad and a heart-to-heart with mom can't fix.

They don't have to tell me this, I already know that it's right.