I’ve been reading books by mothers lately, partly due to the Motherlode book club. Here are some passages that particularly struck me:
The Good-Enough Mother, by Rene Syler with Karen Moline
On imagination: “Children need to know that the power of their own imagination is far more potent and fascinating than any designer-labeled item their parents can scrounge around for or score for them.”
On criticism: “Worrying about what other people think of me is a total waste of time. Not my bosses and colleagues and family and close friends, of course. But people who have no real bearing on how I run my life or how I look or feel.”
No Biking in the House Without a Helmet, by Melissa Fay Greene
On adding another child (in this case, through adoption): “I discovered that my body was okay with mothering him–my lips knew how to kiss him, my hands enjoyed stroking his hair. I tried to take a break from thinking and feeling and to follow, instead, the good-natured willingness of my body to mother the child.”
On large families: “‘I know everyone wonders why we want all these kids and all this responsibility. But I suspect that people who seek promotions at work that permit them to manage more people are not questioned in this way.’”
Torn: True Stories of Kids, Career & the Conflict of Modern Motherhood, edited by Samantha Parent Walravens
“Muthering Heights” by Alexandra Bradner, on motherhood and the workplace: “I can’t help but wonder how many times we have to hear that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a year of breastfeeding and that the most important years of cognitive development are between zero and three before we enact more humane maternity policies in the workplace.”
“A Year Off,” by Jill Gott-Gleason, on the similarities between working and stay at home moms: “We work, we stay home, or we find something in between to keep us busy and happy. We crave love, sleep, chocolate, and a clean house. At the end of the day, if we can laugh and smile along with our children, we have done our jobs well.”
