Good Mother, Bad Mother
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- £9.99
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- £9.99
Publisher Description
Pressurised by the media, scrutinised by their peers, frowned upon even by those closest to them, mothers today face relentless criticism and pressure. Breast or bottle? Work or stay at home? Routine or feeding-on-demand? The choices are infinite and at the heart of each question is the more controversial and divisive debate of what makes a good mother. Good Mother, Bad Mother is an illuminating, moving and thought-provoking study of this enigmatic question. Never before has the subject of motherhood been tackled with such unflinching honesty.
Drawing on her experience of thousands of mothers, bestselling parenting author Gina Ford has turned her attention to the women charged with bringing up the next generation. She addresses the challenges of contemporary motherhood and fervently argues that these awe-inspiring women seldom receive the support, respect and admiration they deserve. And for the first time, in a candid, personal account, Gina interweaves stories from her own childhood, revealing how her relationship with her own mother has shaped the choices she has made.
Any woman who has ever doubted her capabilities as a mother will find comfort and reassurance in the insights of the woman whose books have been justly described a 'godsend'.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
British baby routine guru Ford (The New Contented Little Baby Book) interweaves what feels like two separate books, even if both point toward the same idea: loving mothering is always good mothering, independent of the details. One section focuses on women's relationships with their mothers and consists of an emotional, if not especially insightful, tribute to Ford's own mother. Ford traces their bond from her childhood, when the family struggled financially, through an unconventional adult relationship, to the grief of caring for her mother on her deathbed. The other section is addressed to new mothers and consists of Ford's insights into the difficulties they face, gleaned from decades of work as a maternity nurse (she has no children herself). Ford places particular emphasis on the pressures exerted by mothers, mothers-in-law, peers, and the culture at large. Setting herself against this mood of "unnerving criticism and competition," she emphatically affirms that working, bottle-feeding, daycare-using moms are doing perfectly fine. By way of anecdotal demonstration, Ford includes dozens of interviews with mothers of young children, though these tend to be overlong and under-edited. Her established fans may feel comforted by Ford's reaffirming words, but despite her reputation as an expert, Ford has little new to say about the ravages of the "mommy wars."
Customer Reviews
Great reading
Love Gina Ford and her routines. This book makes you take a look at your relationship with your own mother and made me really appreciate what I have. A really lovely book.