The Perfect Mother Myth and Mothering within the context of Motherhood

A resource that has helped me in my mothering journey is Dr. Sophie Brock. She is a Motherhood Studies Sociologist who has brought so much language to things that I could feel when I became a mother but couldn’t explain.

From her website:

Motherhood is different to mothering. Mothers do their mothering within the context of Motherhood. The social rules around Motherhood are the ones Mothers live their lives within. These rules become embedded within our own lives, and in the systems, structures, and institutions that we live within. Understanding these rules is the first step to an empowered, liberated, reimagined version of Motherhood.

She has a fantastic podcast The Good Enough Mother. I highly recommend to any mother or parenting partner who wants to understand the experience of motherhood better.

After listening to her podcast, I realised that I had entered motherhood fully believing in the Perfect Mother Myth. The dissonance between that and reality of being a mother was part of what made the transition so difficult.

Her work helps me understand how I can truly enjoy being a Mother, while simultaneously feeling strangled by motherhood at times.

Dr. Sophie Brock on Instagram.