Motherhood

Motherhood is the experience of parenthood through the lens of femininity. There are many different types of maternal relationships that are defined socially, biologically, and legally, and each carries enormous—and often conflicting—cultural expectations and assumptions. Finding out what it means to be a “good mother” is often a journey of self-discovery, learning how to best balance external expectations, personal desires, and family realities. We can be intensely judged for how we perform gendered parental roles, but we also can gain great personal satisfaction by fulfilling those roles. Finding our own understanding of our complex identities as parents can help us find resilience and joy in the long journey of parenthood.