--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My mum was very, very tough." description: "\"My mum was very, very tough.\" — Lenny Henry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/lenny-henry-4682_mum_my-mum-was-very-very-tough-495382_495382.png" --- # My mum was very, very tough. ![“My mum was very, very tough.” quote by Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/lenny-henry-4682_mum_my-mum-was-very-very-tough-495382_495382.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/lenny-henry-4682_mum_my-mum-was-very-very-tough-495382_495382.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/lenny-henry-4682_mum_my-mum-was-very-very-tough-495382_495382.png) > “My mum was very, very tough.” [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A mother’s strictness can shape resilience and character in children. **In simple terms:** Tough love builds strength. Key Takeaway Value the lessons from a strict upbringing. Themes family resilience upbringing Mood reflective appreciative Type personal inspirational When to use this quote - growing up - overcoming challenges - learning discipline Key Concepts parenting character development Questions to Reflect On - How did your mother’s toughness affect your confidence? - What lessons did you keep? A Different Perspective Strictness may also cause fear or rebellion. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Mum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mum/) ## Related quotes > [Every time I take the field, I know I have to run hard for my mum, because of all the tough times we went…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/casemiro/every-time-i-take-the-field-i-know-i-have-to-run-hard-for-my-mum/) [Casemiro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/casemiro/) > [In our house, my mum was the funny one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/in-our-house-my-mum-was-the-funny-one/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [I allow myself to not feel the need to be some sort of wonder woman. You can't do everything at once and tear your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-zeta-jones/i-allow-myself-to-not-feel-the-need-to-be-some-sort-of-wonder-woman/) [Catherine Zeta-Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherine-zeta-jones/) > [One of my favourite items is a very old jacket - it was my mum's uniform from when she was working 15 or 20 years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astrid-berges-frisbey/one-of-my-favourite-items-is-a-very-old-jacket-it-was-my-mum-s/) [Astrid Berges-Frisbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astrid-berges-frisbey/) > [Every year since I was very small, my family - Mum, Dad, sister Charlie-Ann and brother Stephen - and I have been holidaying in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pixie-lott/every-year-since-i-was-very-small-my-family-mum-dad-sister-charlie/) [Pixie Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pixie-lott/) > [Clinical depression passes but it's tough, it's very tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brenda-fricker/clinical-depression-passes-but-it-s-tough-it-s-very-tough/) [Brenda Fricker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brenda-fricker/) > [I sound like my mum and I like that. I like that I sound like where I'm from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-lou-wood/i-sound-like-my-mum-and-i-like-that-i-like-that-i-sound-like-where-i/) [Aimee Lou Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-lou-wood/) > [One of the first houses we lived in was like out of a fairy story. We had a stream that ran through our garden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-clarke/one-of-the-first-houses-we-lived-in-was-like-out-of-a-fairy-story-we/) [Emilia Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-clarke/) > [Nothing in the world that I could compare with you MUM. You are the best LOVE YOU…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-in-the-world-that-i-could-compare-with-you-mum-you-are-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Mum once told Dad that vices are only vices when looked at through the frame of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/mum-once-told-dad-that-vices-are-only-vices-when-looked-at-through/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [I'd like to say that I'm a rock star, but I'm not - I'm honestly more of a relationship kind of guy. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-sheeran/i-d-like-to-say-that-i-m-a-rock-star-but-i-m-not-i-m-honestly-more-of/) [Ed Sheeran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-sheeran/) > [My mum's from Yorkshire and my parents aren't snotty or posh - they're very hard workers, both of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-phillips/my-mum-s-from-yorkshire-and-my-parents-aren-t-snotty-or-posh-they-re/) [Sally Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-phillips/) > [I was painfully shy, so my aunt suggested to my mum that me and my brother go to Stage 84, a performing arts school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-cooke/i-was-painfully-shy-so-my-aunt-suggested-to-my-mum-that-me-and-my/) [Christian Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-cooke/) > [My dad's family were political and he was always a theatrical creature, whereas my mum is really musical and her father was the touring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/my-dad-s-family-were-political-and-he-was-always-a-theatrical/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) ## More by Lenny Henry > [What a gift it would be if every child in the country could hear a professional orchestra at least once.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/what-a-gift-it-would-be-if-every-child-in-the-country-could-hear-a/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [I lament the passing of 'Play for Today,' 'Armchair Theatre,' 'Screen One and Two' and 'Comedy Playhouse' - because these shows gave a platform…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/i-lament-the-passing-of-play-for-today-armchair-theatre-screen-one/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [With every task you think, 'What did I do wrong there? What could I do better?' That's why I've spent my life gravitating towards…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/with-every-task-you-think-what-did-i-do-wrong-there-what-could-i-do/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [I think tax breaks for diversity is a good thing. In film now, what happens is you get huge tax breaks if you can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/i-think-tax-breaks-for-diversity-is-a-good-thing-in-film-now-what/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Corden's a comedy powerhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/corden-s-a-comedy-powerhouse/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Samuel Coleridge-Taylor has opened my eyes in many ways.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/samuel-coleridge-taylor-has-opened-my-eyes-in-many-ways/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Wouldn't it be great, if there was a one-stop shop where funny people could take their ideas and have them made?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/wouldn-t-it-be-great-if-there-was-a-one-stop-shop-where-funny-people/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Stand-up's a lottery - you think it's funny but the audience can disagree.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/stand-up-s-a-lottery-you-think-it-s-funny-but-the-audience-can/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [In the 1970s in black and Asian households up and down the country, there's a familiar story that when we saw a non-white person…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/in-the-1970s-in-black-and-asian-households-up-and-down-the-country/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [It's about challenging yourself; wanting to do things that push you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/it-s-about-challenging-yourself-wanting-to-do-things-that-push-you/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [My dad never hugged me, never said he was proud of me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/my-dad-never-hugged-me-never-said-he-was-proud-of-me/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [That's where depression hits you most - your home life. It doesn't affect your work. I can't do this zany, wacky, funny thing any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/that-s-where-depression-hits-you-most-your-home-life-it-doesn-t/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [A relationship can only work if you work at it. Marriage is the most difficult thing you will do - you've got to really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/a-relationship-can-only-work-if-you-work-at-it-marriage-is-the-most/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [Perfection isn't everything, some mistakes are pretty groovy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/perfection-isn-t-everything-some-mistakes-are-pretty-groovy/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) > [If you don't know your history, you can't know your future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/if-you-don-t-know-your-history-you-can-t-know-your-future/) [Lenny Henry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) [Explore all 107 Lenny Henry quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/) ## More Mum quotes > [Me mum used to always have the radio on - even now she has it on in every room. Me girlfriend sort of blames…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-pilkington/me-mum-used-to-always-have-the-radio-on-even-now-she-has-it-on-in/) [Karl Pilkington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-pilkington/) > [My dad's family were political and he was always a theatrical creature, whereas my mum is really musical and her father was the touring…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-jones/my-dad-s-family-were-political-and-he-was-always-a-theatrical/) [Grace Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-jones/) > [I was painfully shy, so my aunt suggested to my mum that me and my brother go to Stage 84, a performing arts school…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christian-cooke/i-was-painfully-shy-so-my-aunt-suggested-to-my-mum-that-me-and-my/) [Christian Cooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christian-cooke/) > [My mum's from Yorkshire and my parents aren't snotty or posh - they're very hard workers, both of them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-phillips/my-mum-s-from-yorkshire-and-my-parents-aren-t-snotty-or-posh-they-re/) [Sally Phillips](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-phillips/) > [I'd like to say that I'm a rock star, but I'm not - I'm honestly more of a relationship kind of guy. I'm a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-sheeran/i-d-like-to-say-that-i-m-a-rock-star-but-i-m-not-i-m-honestly-more-of/) [Ed Sheeran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-sheeran/) > [Mum once told Dad that vices are only vices when looked at through the frame of society.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/mum-once-told-dad-that-vices-are-only-vices-when-looked-at-through/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [Nothing in the world that I could compare with you MUM. You are the best LOVE YOU…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/nothing-in-the-world-that-i-could-compare-with-you-mum-you-are-the/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [One of the first houses we lived in was like out of a fairy story. We had a stream that ran through our garden,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emilia-clarke/one-of-the-first-houses-we-lived-in-was-like-out-of-a-fairy-story-we/) [Emilia Clarke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emilia-clarke/) > [I sound like my mum and I like that. I like that I sound like where I'm from.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aimee-lou-wood/i-sound-like-my-mum-and-i-like-that-i-like-that-i-sound-like-where-i/) [Aimee Lou Wood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aimee-lou-wood/) > [I don't feel I'm as good a mum as my mum was.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tori-amos/i-don-t-feel-i-m-as-good-a-mum-as-my-mum-was/) [Tori Amos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tori-amos/) > [My mum was Labour-voting, but wanted us to know we were important. Basically, everyone's equal, but you, my children, are a bit better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-freeman/my-mum-was-labour-voting-but-wanted-us-to-know-we-were-important/) [Martin Freeman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-freeman/) > [My mum makes me laugh a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simon-amstell/my-mum-makes-me-laugh-a-lot/) [Simon Amstell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simon-amstell/) > [Every year since I was very small, my family - Mum, Dad, sister Charlie-Ann and brother Stephen - and I have been holidaying in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pixie-lott/every-year-since-i-was-very-small-my-family-mum-dad-sister-charlie/) [Pixie Lott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pixie-lott/) > [One of my favourite items is a very old jacket - it was my mum's uniform from when she was working 15 or 20 years ago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astrid-berges-frisbey/one-of-my-favourite-items-is-a-very-old-jacket-it-was-my-mum-s/) [Astrid Berges-Frisbey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astrid-berges-frisbey/) > [My mum is deeply, deeply a man's woman, a man's muse. Maybe because I'm a kid from the '80s, I'm a bit more dominant.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lou-doillon/my-mum-is-deeply-deeply-a-man-s-woman-a-man-s-muse-maybe-because-i-m/) [Lou Doillon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lou-doillon/) [Browse all 1,038 Mum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mum/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My mum was very, very tough.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lenny Henry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/my-mum-was-very-very-tough/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Mum" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/my-mum-was-very-very-tough/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/lenny-henry-4682_mum_my-mum-was-very-very-tough-495382_495382.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/lenny-henry-4682_mum_my-mum-was-very-very-tough-495382_495382.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4d3/lenny-henry-4682_mum_my-mum-was-very-very-tough-495382_495382.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My mum was very, very tough.” — Lenny Henry", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lenny Henry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lenny-henry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My mum was very, very tough.", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/my-mum-was-very-very-tough/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lenny-henry/my-mum-was-very-very-tough/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```