Maternal Self Loathing

Israeli-American lawyer and novelist Ayelet Waldman came to public attention with the publication of her essay "Truly, Madly, Guiltily", in which she describes the complex & sometimes conflicting feelings she has for both her husband & her four children. This essay provoked so much public controversy that Waldman decided to write a collection of essays about parenting and motherhood, entitled "Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace."

This New York Times bestselling book says that no woman can be a perfect mother - it argues that competitive, neurotic parenting & having unrealistic expectations may be damaging to our children, and that society is too hard on other women's parenting skills. The book includes chapters on feminism, motherhood, and all its associated anxieties, including anxieties about breastfeeding, marriage, postpartum sexuality, teenagers, homework, and the loss of an unborn child.

Originally published on April 15th, 2010.

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