5 conversations you need to have with your mum as soon as you can.

One of my earliest and most enduring childhood memories is of my mum in the kitchen, cooking for all of us.

Now that I am all grown up, I realise that it was pretty symbolic of the way she devoted her whole life to her family, every single day.

I rang my mum a month after becoming a mother myself to say sorry for, well, everything. I suddenly understood everything she did for me, and I realised what I’d put her through over the years.

And now I’m 11 years into this parenting gig? There are a few more things I want my mum (and all mums, for that matter) to know.

Just as an FYI, you should know that this is an advertorial for BreastScreen NSW.

Here is my list of five things we should ALL tell our mums. Today.

1. Take care of yourself.

My mum goes to the doctor on a regular basis and it used to freak me out – I would automatically think something was wrong. But then I realised that mums taking care of themselves was a good thing.

We all need our mothers to respect their health and stay on top of any issues before they become huge – so please, mums, keep up the health checks, and especially breast screens.

There are trucks that travel the country, bringing the test straight to your door – so you really have no excuse. They target (and are free for) women over 50 and mum, they are absolutely essential. We need you to stick around, so look after your health okay? Don’t you know how much the kids all adore you?

Related: So, what would your “mum salary” be? Hint: It’s a lot.

2. Thanks for teaching us how to be good mothers ourselves.

If we were lucky enough to have a good mum ourselves, we’ve probably learned from them how to parent our own children well. It’s only natural that we would look at our own upbringing when we become parents. So if you had a devoted, supportive mother like I did? Say thanks.

3. Mums: You really are our BFFS.

I never expected that my mother and I would be BFFS. I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve laughed so hard we’ve spat out coffee or whatever food we’d been eating. When did she get so funny? Oh, wait. She was funny the entire time, and I just didn’t notice.

Most of my friends have also grown closer to their mothers over time – now that we’re parents ourselves, there’s a new level of understanding there. As we age we tend to become even closer with our mums, so we should take the time to let them know how much we value them.

4. We’re sorry for being nightmares as teenagers.

Okay, I’ll admit it. I was a nightmare teenager. Not in the traditional way – but I was bossy, and I never listened. My mum fell silent as I ranted and raved about everything, and I can’t apologise enough.

I’m certain that we all have something to apologise for when it comes to our bratty teenage years – whether it be questionable hygiene, messy rooms, slammed doors and mood swings. How did they put up with us? Yep, our mums copped a lot from our hormonal, teenage selves. It’s time to apologise. Properly.

Related: Madonna wants you to know she’s a really great mum.

5. Thanks for always being there for us.

My mum had very little time to herself, and yet every single time I was hurt or crying or hungry she was there in a flash, making everything better.

As kids, our mums were usually the people we turned to first for advice or help, and they rarely if ever asked for anything in return. As adults, they are still often the first person in our lives to help us through the tough times and support us when we need it.

These are five conversations we all need to have with our mums – especially the one about health. After all, we want them to be around as long as possible, right? And it’s probably time we all told our mums how much we appreciate them.

So thanks Mum. For everything.

BreastScreen NSW is a government funded service which aims to detect breast cancer early before it has a chance to spread. Early detection of cancer increases the treatment options available and improves the chance of survival. 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime and 9 in 10 women diagnosed do not have a family history. BreastScreen NSW actively invites women aged 50-74 to have a free screening mammogram every two years. Screening is provided at over 200 locations across NSW, and is also available nationally.  Booking your free mammogram is easy to do, simply call 13 20 50. For more information visit www.breastscreen.nsw.gov.au