The pressure to be perfect as a mother is immense in modern society – no wonder if you feel like you’re not living up to the standards and expectations placed on you to be ‘a good mum’.
In this episode, I speak to Motherhood Studies Sociologist Dr Sophie Brock about how hard it is to be a mother today, as we “can’t self-compassion our way out of structural barriers, constraints, and institutional failings” affecting mothers.
We cover:
- The social construction of motherhood and being ‘a good mum’
- The anger/guilt trap in motherhood
- Maternal regret – ‘shouldn’t have become a mother’
- Putting more pressure on ourselves is counterproductive
- Matrescence – transitional experience of becoming a mother
- Self-compassion can’t stop misogyny or racism
- Steps to let go of motherhood guilt
- Questioning the internalized markers of success as a ‘perfect mother’
- The bar of being a ‘good father’ low, the bar for ‘good mother’ extremely high
- Mummy wars of shaming and comparison with other mothers
- Dealing with judgemental comments for your choices
Dr Sophie Brock provides analysis of Motherhood in our culture, exploring the ways individual experiences of Mothers are shaped by broader social constructs. Sophie’s offerings include self-study courses for Mothers and practitioners, her podcast The Good Enough Mother, and her Motherhood Studies Practitioner Certification program.
To connect further –
@drsophiebrock on Instagram and Facebook
Order my book, The Lasting Connection, here
Find out more about my upcoming group coaching for women who struggle with perfectionism and not feeling enough by messaging me – www.thethomasconnection.co.uk/contact-us/
Find me at www.thethomasconnection.co.uk
