I don't know who wrote this:
>>To be sure, but all the childless women I can think of that I know lack
>>the maturity and selflessness of a mother. Some have cats as
>>substitutes, but "mothering" a pet does not have the same effect. If a
>>mother is selfish, her child will not let her rest, she has no choice
>>but to fulfill their needs and to watch them tirelessly lest they injure
>>themselves or be abducted or abused by some (usually male) fiend. And if
>>her child is unhappy, she (typically) cannot let herself rest.
But it looks like the one of the most ludicrous generalisations I have ever
read (or heard).
I do not have children of my own but have lived and worked with them for
most of my adult life, the majorityof them from extremely disadvantaged
backgrounds. I have known plenty of parents (on both professional and
personal levels) who are less mature and selfless than many of the
non-parents I know. I know any number of children and young people who are
much more mature and selfless than either of their parents. I know a few
mothers who have colluded with abuse perpetrators or (more rarely) abused
their own children. I know many mothers who are so unhappy or violated
themselves that they have absolutely no capacity to know how their children
are feeling - let alone do anything about it. I also know many wonderful,
wonderful mothers.
I agree wholeheartedly with Christine!!
Libby (my dogs know that I am not too mature, and that I'm generous and
unselfish)
>
>Lee, as a childless woman, who is assisting in raising three nephews, I
>find it a little bit hard to take your assertion I lack maturity and
>sefllessness.
>
>By generalisaing that 'all' mothers are good and 'all' childless women are
>immature and selfish you deny other people's experiences and ways of
>living, and condemn them.
>
>You try to say that your experience and ways of understanding are the only
>*right* ways - ending up "playing at being the rulers of the universe"
>
>
>Christine
