Famous Sayings: #104 — ‘Mother Knows Best …’

May 13, 2018

In some situations I am convince that my mother knows best.

While the phrase “father knows best” might be more familiar because of the sitcom that ran in the United States from 1954 to 1960, but the phrase “mother knows best” might have been recorded much earlier. While I was not able to find a definite source for the origin of this phrase, I was able to find some information on an old work that had “mother knows best” as its title.

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What Did I Find?

While trying to find a good phrase for Mother’s Day, I searched Wikipedia with the phrase “Mother Knows Best” and came across a 1928 movie starring Madge Bellamy and Louise Dresser, had a screenplay developed by Marion Orth from Edna Ferber’s 1927 novel of the same name. The story involves the relationship between a performer (“Sally Quail,” played by Bellamy) and her stage mother (“Ma Quail, played by Dresser) (IMDb).

The series Father Knows Best started as a radio show starring Robert Young that ran from 1949 to 1952. It was later developed into a television show that had a family-friendly plot each episode. Although Jim Anderson, the main character portrayed by Young, worked for an insurance company, he business never really took precedence and most episodes began when Anderson came home and greeted his wife (“Honey, I’m home”).

While these phrases may have been uttered much earlier, it appears that the title “Mother Knows Best” has a much earlier use in fiction.

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Does Mother Know Best?

Depending on the situation, yes. Mothers have already experienced many of the same type of things their children have yet to experience. Thus, mothers feel compelled to offer their children advice — whether or not it’s wanted. As long as we know that her advice came from a place of love and caring, that’s the most important thing.

Sometimes it might be hard to hear what our mothers tell us, but when the time comes, we may find out that she was right. It might be hard to admit, unless you trusted her advice to begin with. It’s really great when mothers tell their children how to handle troublemakers and it works out as planned.

Our mothers can also serve as good listeners. There are moments when we’ll need to vent, and our mothers might serve as the best listeners when we need it. And they make us feel better with their interjections. She may say something like, “Yeah, she’s no good,” or “How dare they?” to let you know that there is someone on your side.

Other times, it might be hard for us to talk to our mothers, especially when we try to give them advice. It might just be about something as simple as navigating the web. Watch out, because your mom might get mad. You’re never gonna win that argument.

I jest — a little, but if you have a great relationship with your mother, you are truly blessed. That said, I hope you enjoyed your Mother’s Day and thanks for reading.

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Works Cited

“10 Things You Miss Most About Your Mom While You’re Away.” Odyssey. Web. Retrieved 13 May 2018. Web. <https://www.theodysseyonline.com/10-things-about-mom-while-youre>.

“Father Knows Best.” Old Time Radio Catalog. Web. Retrieved 13 May 2018. <https://www.otrcat.com/p/father-knows-best>.

“Father Knows Best (TV Series 1954-1960).” Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. Retrieved 13 May 2018. <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0046600/?ref_=ttpl_pl_tt>.

“Mother Knows Best (1928).” Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. Retrieved 13 May 2018. <https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0019181/?ref_=nv_sr_4>.

Various. “Edna Ferber.” Wikipedia. Last Updated 27 Mar 2018. Web. Retrieved 13 May 2018. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edna_Ferber>.

Various. “Mother Knows Best.” Wikipedia. Last Updated 1 Apr 2018. Web. Retrieved 13 May 2018. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Knows_Best_(film)>.

Word Camel. “Grandma Knows Best.” The Phrase Finder. 3 Oct 2004. Online Forum. Retrieved 13 May 2018. <https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/35/messages/237.html>.

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