Ditching Mom Guilt
"Mom guilt" might be universal and inescapable. It's also often misplaced, and can sabotage not just our own happiness, but our ability to parent effectively.
"Mom guilt" is shorthand for what we think are two pretty different things:
- the universal, low-grade feelings of inadequacy that our soccer snacks aren't as good as Monica's
- the intense, deeply personal shame that we are definitely the only horrible parent who has ever allowed their baby to roll off the changing table
Yes, we take on these feelings of guilt and shame—but society is pretty quick to hand them to us. In this episode we discuss
- why there isn't such a thing as "dad guilt"
- why mom guilt might serve as a sort of magical thinking
- if we can at least skip the feeling guilty about HAVING mom guilt part
Here are links to some studies and other writing on this topic that we discuss in this episode:
- Lara Bazelon for The Atlantic: The End of Mom Guilt
- Amy Paturel for The Washington Post: Why we feel 'mom guilt'—and how to stop
- Fresh Take: Dana Dorfman on When Worry Works
- Fresh Take: Carla Naumburg on Why You Are Not a Sh*tty Parent
- Fresh Take: Sara Petersen on "Momfluencers"
- Fresh Take: Susan Linn on How 'Big Tech' Targets Our Kids
- Batram-Zantvoort, Stephanie et al, Frontiers in Global Women's Health: "Maternal self-conception and mental wellbeing..."
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