Readers give their views on Eliane Glaser’s piece on the cult of the perfect mother
Thank you for publishing such an interesting and nuanced article written by Eliane Glaser (Parent trap: why the cult of the perfect mother has to end, 18 May). We need more articles like this one to encourage a continued discussion on the deep issues involving her incisive point that “motherhood is feminism’s unfinished business”. I am looking forward to the publication of Glaser’s book Motherhood: A Manifesto later this month.
Personally, I hold the stance that a plurality of feminisms exists and that the crux of feminist endeavours is to enable a woman to have choice over the way that she chooses to live her life. We still need to reconcile the concept of capitalism with the raising of children, a part of the human experience that is not very profitable, but essential. In order to do this, it is important for us to think about where we have come from (“the myth that our historical counterparts were selflessly devoted to their offspring”) and to contemplate where we want to go: what lessons can we learn in order to give our sons and daughters the best opportunities from which to raise their children?
Dr Amy Codling
Associate lecturer, York Law School
