Author Jessica Grose urges mothers, when faced with impossible demands, to ask “Does this help me improve my relationship with my children? And does this help my community? If the answer is neither, push back.”
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JenniferZeven
In its early guises, Mothersâ Day was about fighting for a better world for women, not breakfast in bed
âWhy perpetuate the myth of ideal mothers endlessly stifling themselves for a pay-off of flannelette pjs and breakfast in bed every May?â Photograph: Michel/Alamy
âWhy perpetuate the myth of ideal mothers endlessly stifling themselves for a pay-off of flannelette pjs and breakfast in bed every May?â Photograph: Michel/Alamy
Sat 8 May 2021 16.00 EDT
Last modified on Sat 8 May 2021 16.01 EDT
Born in the United States amid gunfire, Civil War, the antislavery movement and the feminist fight for suffrage, Motherâs Day was meant to be more than it is today. More than a day where mothers like me are âallowedâ to have a lie in, eat cold toast, drink cold coffee, and open cards crafted by earnest children. I canât help thinking: shouldnât there be more?