Motherhood or parenting, in general, is a tight-rope walk, many moms will agree. Some believe there are rules, while some believe there are rights and wrongs- but what is widely prevalent is the world of myths surrounding motherhood. There are people to always tell you how things could have been done better and how the approach you are going ahead with is wrong, right from scratch (the “I told you so” people)
Let’s admit it. We have had our days of worry and despair when breastfeed wasn’t just enough and we had to resort to bottle feed to keep the babies pacified? Thoughts of ‘why me’ and ‘I thought I had done them all right’ haunt us every night and we never go to bed, completely satisfied with ourselves.
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This article by Claire Howorth in TIME deals these issues with a brilliant and insightful perspective. Here is what stood out for us, as moms from this good-read.
The Goddess Myth:
Claire Howorth terms the whole thing as a ‘Goddess Myth‘ that is impacting moms worldwide. The need to be perfect, the need to give our child nothing but the best (only, that the best is determined by people other than the mother), how you need to feel and look radiant after you have a child and lots more- the list is endless.
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The lack of support for a new mom:
Image source: mommypotamus.com
The write-up quotes a TIME‘s survey that states “half of all new mothers had experienced regret, shame, guilt or anger, mostly due to unexpected complications and lack of support” Have all our cries for the need for supporting a new mom fallen on deaf ears, over the years?
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The choking effect of social media:
Image source: cacw.org
Is social media ruling your lives, moms? Does the Internet tell you exactly how many ounces of milk your newborn should nurse and how x hours of uninterrupted sleep will mean peace, harmony and a happy life for your little bundle of joy? If your answer is yes, (just like a lot of ours)- the trend is worrying. The article quotes Catherine Monk, a psychologist and associate professor at Columbia University Medical Center- The result is “a kind of over-preciousness about motherhood. It’s obsessive, and it’s amplified by the Internet and social media.”
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On what is deemed right and wrong:
Image source: powerofpositivity.com
Again quoting a midwife from Charlottesville, Va. the article summarises the modern day motherhood chaos in these lines- “The minute a person becomes pregnant, there’s a notion that if you’re not doing those kinds of things, you’re not a good mother.”
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No, there are no failures in motherhood:
Image source: healthway.com
Claire summarises beautifully as she says, “Moms have to stick together even as we walk our separate paths. We have to spot the templates and realize there are no templates. We have to talk about our failures and realize there are no failures.”
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To read the complete article, click here.
What is your take on the prevalent Goddess Myth- do share your opinion with us in the comments below.
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Vaishnavi Venkatraman
Rati Ramadas Girish
KSP Team
Neha Savla
Mansi Zaveri
