Julia Roberts: Be a good son/daughter yourself.
"I try to call my mother, Betty, with more regularity because I think, 'What if Hazel didn’t call me for two weeks?' I’m able to see her mothering now from a different vantage point.”
Heidi Klum: Remember, kids will be kids.
"To kind of roll with the flow. Our house is full of life, laughter, and mayhem.
Every dinnertime something spills. Or they are wearing uniforms for school, and when we have breakfast in the morning, food gets all over their hands. You can tell them a thousand times 'Do not wipe it on your pants,' and sure enough they wipe it on their pants.
But that’s when you roll with it. My house is not like a museum. You can see that children live there."
Salma Hayek: Cherish every moment.
“When Valentina was not even 1-month-old, my aunt [told me]:
‘Put her to sleep yourself every night. Sing to her and cradle her in your arms and sit by her side – every night. Because one day you won’t be able to, and it’s going to happen really fast.'”
Sheryl Crow: Adopting is just as special.
“Wyatt [my adopted son] is definitely all mine. Little souls find their way to you whether they’re from your womb or someone else’s.”
Katie Holmes: Don't believe the stereotypes.
“I’ve never met a 2-year-old who is terrible. I’m so cool with every stage my daughter goes through. I just think she’s amazing.
I hope she’s not looking at me thinking, 'Mom, are the terrible 30s coming on with you?'”
Tina Fey: Don't give up.
“I think every working mom probably feels the same thing: You go through big chunks of time where you’re just thinking, ‘This is impossible – oh, this is impossible.’
And then you just keep going and keep going, and you sort of do the impossible.”
Elizabeth Banks: Accept a helping hand.
"Be open to any help. Many moms today feel they have to be super moms, while historically we’ve always had a village to pitch in. I think it’s really important to know when to ask for help."
Courtney Cox: Be a good listener.
"My goal is always to listen to my daughter and try to teach her without making her feel any shame."
Jessica Alba: Monitor everything.
"As parents, sometimes we don't check what's in the products we're taking home for our kids. We assume we can trust what's in the store.
You wouldn't jump to the conclusion that there's arsenic in the juice you're buying. You wouldn't think companies are allowed to put carcinogens in laundry detergent. That stuff never crosses our minds, but we're the ones who have to say 'Enough is enough' and demand transparency from the companies we support to keep our children safe."
Sarah Jessica Parker: Casual is okay.
“As a working mother high heels don’t really fit into my life anymore – but in a totally wonderful way. I would much rather think about my son than myself.”
Michelle Obama: Quality time at the table.
"Family dinners are a tradition we've instituted at the White House, and it has made a huge difference.
No matter what else is happening, at 6:30 we stop everything and eat together ... We use those dinners to connect with our girls, have conversations, and just spend quality time together as a family."
Debra Messing: Embrace the big picture.
“The priority shift is a relief. There are so many things that used to monopolize my time and my energy that I realize now, in the face of being a mother, are just completely irrelevant.”
Jaime Pressly: Be open-minded.
"Listen to your child and always be supportive of who they are and who they want to be, their likes and dislikes, instead of trying to force who you want them to be onto them "
Jewel: Have a soundtrack.
"Music has always been an outlet and a friend I could count on to help me with my feelings, and I'm excited to pass that positive influence on to my son."
Tina Knowles: Teach the true meaning of beauty.
"I have always stressed to my girls that outer beauty fades but inner beauty lasts forever. Simple things like smiling and looking people in the eye could change someone's bad day into a good one.
My mom always said that beauty is as beauty does, and I'm sure it will pass along to all the future generations of our family."
Katie Couric: Common courtesy goes a long way.
"Showing your children how to properly shake a person's hand, look someone in the eye, and be polite to everyone will help them now and later in life.
As the old Head and Shoulders commercial goes, 'You never get a second chance to make a first impression,' and I really think that's true!"
Brooke Shields: Discipline is a good thing.
“Trust me when I tell you I’m on my girls. And every time I am, I know from the outside it looks like I’m an overbearing, controlling parent.
But I don’t think we are responsible to anybody but our kids and ourselves.”
Jillian Michaels: Don't forget to take care of yourself.
"As a mom, it's hard to put yourself first. I'm in the process of adopting and I'm spending a lot of time with my daughter in Haiti, and I really get that now.
But kids know when you're spread too thin and falling apart, emotionally or physically — and it scares the hell out of them."
Angie Harmon: Give in to imperfection.
"I'm a perfectionist, and my girlfriend once told me, 'OK, so you didn't get all three girls' hair brushed or one is wearing mismatched socks. It's not the end of the world.'"
Thandie Newton: Don't discount what you can learn from kids.
"I consider my kids wiser than I am, because they are completely uncorrupted. I try to always hold them in the highest regard so they'll know their worth."
Alison Sweeney: Make believe.
"To parent my first child as if I already had one. As a new mom, when your baby cries, your instinct is to rush to her immediately.
But if you had to, say, soothe your imaginary 2-year-old first…well, it helped me calm down a bit."