Author(s): Naomi Stadlen

Parenting

It is amazing to listen to mothers and hear how much they learn.

Each mother learns different things - some practical, some mysterious. However, some common patterns come through.

Mothers learn that:

*Mothering is more than baby- and childcare.
*Babies can't talk but they can communicate.
*Mothers are 'in conversation' with their babies.
*Through their babies, mothers learn about themselves.
*Mothers form families based on their own values.
*The role of fathers is in the middle of a major change.
*The reasons for maternal anger need to be understood.
*Mothers can still be feminists.
*Part of mothering is a spiritual experience.
*Mothers bring usable experience back to their workplaces.

What Mothers Learn will show, first, how learning to be a mother takes time, and then what a wonderful experience it can be. It also makes the case that, if enough of us agree that mothering is essential, society must find a way to reward the women who do it.