Part of growing up is sometimes realizing that your parents were right all along. As father's day approached in both the UK and the US, we asked you to 'fess up and tell us the best advice you've heard from your dad (and how long it took to realize he was right).

Here's what you shared on Twitter and via the Guardian:

On maintaining a balanced life

My father used to say …

Being moderate and balanced is the most difficult thing. The most difficult things are often the best things. Always be moderate.

I realized he was right when …

Life became a mix of everything. When studying, working, relationships and everything somehow got intertwined. – Zahara, Toronto

On following instructions

My father used to say …

On the day I left the home, my father announced that for the first and only time he was going to give me some advice. I listened carefully expecting a philosophy for life but what he said was: "Most tins and packets of food have serving suggestions on the labels. Follow them." This didn't seem very profound at the time

I realized he was right …

The first time I cooked dinner for a girlfriend I did what it said on the packet of spaghetti and she was surprisingly impressed! – Chris Jones, UK

On learning new things

My father used to say …

You should learn a new thing every day



I realized he was right when...

I stopped rolling my eyes after I had left school & wasn't forced to learn a new thing every day. I realised I could just stay in and watch TV, or continue to explore new themes myself. Dad has done that all his life & is now a walking Google. The old boy is getting on a bit now, but the brain is as sharp as ever. – Kristine, Scotland

On having too many girlfirends

My father used to say …

When I was 13 I had a crush on a girl and we would see each other often. Then I met Julie. I was smitten with her but wanted to keep my other 'girlfriend' too … so I asked my father what to do. His answer: "Having one woman means having problems, so you have to be mad to want two." I took his advice at the time and stayed with my first love. But unfortunately things would not always be like that when I became an adult.

I realized he was right when...

I had a wonderful relationship with someone in my early thirties. We had our ups and downs like all couples of course – the 'problems' that my father had evoked – but we were in love and were even planning to marry, but I stupidly ruined all that by getting drunk one night and sleeping with another woman. My girlfriend ended our relationship immediately and I was absolutely devastated. It was only then that I remembered my father's advice."

On living life to the fullest

My father used to say …

My dad has three main mantras: 1) It's not what you know, it's who 2) Don't get too high on the highs or low on the lows 3) There will always be greater and lesser (therefore, rule #2)

I realized he was right when ….

My first job came about mostly because of networking. I grudingly admitted that maybe my dad was right about it's not what you know, it's who! In terms of the other advice, that comes with time. It's so easy to get caught up in what you don't have. But life is about managing what you do have. – Heather, New York

On Education

My father used to say …

Education does not make you intelligent, it puts an edge on intelligence



I realized he was right when …

I graduated

From Twitter: