Mom Psych

Today (presumably in anticipation of Mother's Day) the NYT asks, "Has women's obsession with being the perfect mother destroyed feminism? In particular, has this trend of 'attachment parenting' been bad for working moms?"  Usually you would not find a link to political debate on Mom Psych. First of all--I tend to focus on issues that are backed by research rather than opinion. And debates are opinion on steroids. But this question does open the door to some interesting research that will follow. Research that says attachment parenting is on the right track . . . but also research that emphasizes PARENTING. Not simply mothering. Kids need both parents (says the research, very clearly)--when did we get the idea that dads don't need to take on any responsibility here? I feel a blog post coming on.

My favorite contribution in the NYT debate as they've framed it is from Annie Urban: It’s About Parenting, Not ‘Mothering’

We never worry about an involved father "masculinizing" his daughter; why do such fears persist about a feminizing aspect of mothering?