Being a mother is complicated. Our culture presents a stereotyped, narrow picture about who a mother should be and what she should-or should not be-doing for her children. Motherhood is revered, yet there is far less concern about a woman’s felt experience of being a mother.
Mothers’ well-being, however, is essential to the satisfaction of being a mother, quality and skills of mothering and children’s development. Many aspects of a mother’s life contribute to her sense of well-being. Therapeutically addressing issues that interfere with a mother’s experience can make a significant difference in her feelings of satisfaction and fulfillment.
Some concerns that mothers face:
Self-care: physical, emotional, pursuits of individual interests, social connection
Managing many, sometimes conflicting, roles (work-life “balance”)
Wide and changing range of feelings about being a mother
Parenting as a couple or a single mother
Collision of cultural expectations and personal preferences and goals
Caring for children’s’ needs, especially when they involve various kinds of “special” needs
Advocating and collaborating with Childcare! Pre-school! School! College-prep!
Transitions of motherhood- from increasing family size, to the first bus ride to kindergarten to graduating from high school and everything in-between and beyond
The art of embracing and letting go—the challenges of being a mother at different stages of a child’s development
The stresses and joys of being part of the “sandwich generation”
Working through issues as they arise can help support maternal well-being.