50. Addressing Misconceptions about Good Enough Mothering

In this episode I address what I believe are some misunderstandings about the concept and application of the ‘good enough’ mother as an approach to parenting. I recognise the subjective, complex, and changing use of language – as it is attached to meaning – and share some of the challenges involved in actually enacting a theory like this in our everyday lived reality as mothers. This involves defending the value of good enough mothering as an approach, and describing some of the benefits that it can offer to us and our children. I also discuss some of the costs of subscribing to intensive mothering ideology – or the ‘perfect mother myth’ – as motivation for us to consider integrating a ‘good enough mothering’ perspective. I share my own interpretation of what I see ‘good enough mothering’ to mean, which guides both my work with Mothers, and my own mothering of my daughter.