2
We've all heard and read about how women would die for their children and all that, but there are also so many horrifying stories of women feeling no connection to their children, leading to regret, which then snowballs into abuse and neglect, or even abandonment. Does anyone think the likelihood of regretting motherhood is culture-dependent? My classmates and coworkers from communitarian/collectivist societies are shocked to hear that a mother could discard of her child, but my American (and sometimes other Westerner) peers are used to it, with some viewing motherhood with total disgust.
Is there any way to predict what type of mother a woman will be? How can you tell if you'll get the fabled experience of becoming a mama bear who loves every second with her children, or an evil crone who views them with eternal contempt and resentment? Is the risk even worth it?
Edit: well of course they're real for some women, so a better question should be, do all women have maternal instincts, or is it possible to be born lacking the ability to have them?
Bookmarks