This episode is brought to you by Audible, Caldera Lab and FLYKITT.
In this episode of Ever Forward Radio, psychotherapist and author Vanessa Bennett returns to discuss her groundbreaking new book The Motherhood Myth. She pulls back the curtain on the cultural systems shaping how women experience motherhood, intimacy, rage, and identity—and why so many moms feel like they’re failing even when they’re doing everything “right.” Vanessa shares how Western models of parenting, isolation within the nuclear family, and myths rooted in patriarchy contribute to burnout, disconnection, and shame. She also offers a new vision for communal care, initiation rituals, and reclaiming motherhood as a transformative journey instead of a burden.
Follow Vanessa @vanessabennett
Follow Chase @chase_chewning
-----
In this episode we discuss...
00:00 – The Motherhood Struggle
00:30 – The Nuclear Family Myth
03:27 – Motherhood as Transformation
04:42 – Lessons from Past Generations
09:07 – The Concept of the Child Mother
11:28 – Motherhood as Initiation
18:24 – WEIRD Parenting Models
22:38 – Sleep Training, Co-Sleeping & Intuition
26:38 – Communal Parenting vs. Burnout
30:23 – Capitalism, Patriarchy & Motherhood
32:52 – The Martyr Myth
36:31 – Interracial Parenting & Breaking Cycles
37:52 – Rage, Shame & Transformation
42:17 – Motherhood, Rage, and Relationship Expectations
56:19 – Ownership in Relationships & The Codependent Society
01:02:09 – Therapy as a Modern Rite of Passage & Closing Reflections
-----
Episode resources:
