19 Disney Movie Quotes That Nail Parenthood

It's no accident that Disney movies tug at our heartstrings and stick with us long after the credits have rolled. Not only can we delight in the captivated faces of our children, almost every Disney movie has something that speaks to us as parents, too. From reiterating age-old parenting advice to articulating the wishes of moms and dads everywhere, here are 15 Disney quotes that nail parenting. Tissues not included.

1. On a parent's greatest achievement: "The greatest gift and honor... is having you for a daughter." —Fa Zhou, Mulan

No matter how much material success they've experienced in life, all parents will agree that their children are their greatest accomplishment.

2. On figuring it out as you go: "You must be imaginative, strong-hearted. You must try things that may not work, and you must not let anyone define your limits because of where you come from. Your only limit is your soul." —Gusteau, Ratatouille

The key here is trying things that may not work. So much of parenting is trial and error. No one figures everything out the first go 'round.

3. On realizing what love is: "Love is putting someone else's needs before yours." —Olaf, Frozen

Yep. And nothing demonstrates this better than what parents do for their children.

4. On biting your tongue: "If you can't say something nice, don't say nothin' at all." —Thumper, Bambi

Every day isn't going to be a great day when you're a parent, but sometimes your best bet is to just grin and bear it.

5. On what it means to be a family: "Ohana means family, and family means no one gets left behind or forgotten." —Lilo, Lilo & Stitch

When you're a family, you're in it together forever. No exceptions.

6. On cherishing every day: "Today’s special moments are tomorrow’s memories." —Genie, Aladdin

Childhood is brief, and we've got to savor every minute of our little ones' lives because they'll be all grown up before we know it.

7. On finding fun in the mundane: "In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and—snap!—the job's a game!" —Mary, Mary Poppins

What a great way to look at some of the mundane (read: boring) tasks that come along with being a mom or dad. It may not be easy finding the fun in emptying the Diaper Genie, but hey, worth a shot.

8. On trusting yourself: "You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." —Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh

All parents doubt their decisions, techniques, and philosophies from time to time. But ultimately, nobody knows better than mom and dad what's best for their kids.

9. On not raising kids in a bubble: "[You] can’t never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him." —Dory, Finding Nemo

We want to protect our children from anything negative, but sometimes we've just got to let them learn life's tough lessons for themselves. And by trying to protect them from all the bad in the world, we might accidentally make them miss out on something good.

10. On no family being perfect: "This is my family. I found it all on my own. It's little and broken, but still good. Yeah. Still good." —Stitch, Lilo & Stitch

Hey, no one's family is perfect. But that certainly doesn't take away from the love between its members.

11. On every parent's wish: "I just want you to be happy. Whatever you decide, you will always be my son." —Kala, Tarzan

The ultimate goal for every mother and father: For their children to be happy.

12. On how every mom and dad feels about their kids: "You mean more to me than anyone in this world." —Peter Pan, Peter Pan

Because nobody is more important or special to parents than their kids.

13. On the craziness of being a parent: "You are my greatest adventure." —Mr. Incredible, The Incredibles

There's no wilder ride in this world than that of being a parent.

14. On dealing with kids' sometimes challenging behaviors: "I’ve just about had enough of you, lass!" —Queen Elinor, Brave

Tantrums, back talk, incessant whining ... sometimes kids seem more like the spawn of the devil than our own little angels. Everybody's got to dish out a little tough love now and again.

15. On the feeling every person has the moment they become a parent: "So this is love. So this is what makes life divine." —Cinderella, Cinderella

The moment a child enters her parents' lives, she redefines everything they thought they knew about love.

16. On keeping calm and carrying on: "When life gets you down, do you wanna know what you've gotta do? Just keep swimming!" —Dory, Finding Nemo

Not every day is a great day when you've got little ones. But you've got to keep chugging along, knowing that tomorrow will be better.

17. On being overwhelmed: "When there's too much to do, don't let it bother you. Forget your troubles." —Snow White, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

When the laundry is piled up to the ceiling, dinner hasn't been made, and the kids are going nuts, it's important to go easy on yourself and remember that, sometimes, good enough is just fine.

18. On keeping things in perspective: "Remember, laughter is 10 times more powerful than screams." —Mike, Monsters, Inc.

On a day when everything seems to be going wrong, your son or daughter's giggles can wipe it all away and remind you of what really matters.

19. On focusing on what's in front of you: "The seaweed is always greener in somebody else's lake." —Sebastian, The Little Mermaid

With Instagram and Facebook, it probably looks like everyone else has the perfect life and perfect family. But, as we all know deep down, social media isn't real life and everyone's got their problems. Truth is, your seaweed is green enough!