Mother Definition Essay

In a world full of uncertainties, there is one person everyone on this Earth dead or alive has or had, and that is a mother. What is a mother? The dictionary definition of a mother as a noun is a woman in relation to her child or children, but as a verb means bring up (a child) with care and affection. While there is no cookie cutter definition of a mother, women still continuously conform to the societal pressure placed upon them. Societal viewpoint is that the title of mother is a one size fits all category, meaning the roles of every mother must be the same since their “job title” is. A mother either gives her all to her children or she is neglectful and a selfish parent. Mothers get lumped into categories which often dehumanizes them. Because

The word “mamma” is derived from the human anatomy, anatomically mammary glands secrete milk production which mothers use to feed their young or offspring. Linguist Roman Jakobson offers a unique origin of “mom” as he believes the word came from the sounds produced by nursing babies. While babies are nursing from their mothers, they produce a variety of noises often making mmm sounds which “may have eventually led to dear old “mom…” (Roman Jakobson) “A good mother” has been subject to change with each new era in society. Traditionally in the 18th century, women of high status and even the middle class birthed their children and then passes them off to various nannies, wet nurses, and eventually private schools. During the same era those in the working class raised their own children because they could not afford to send their children off, the raised their children because they had to. Jump to the 20th century motherhood was heavily encouraged as “the creation of Mother’s Day, started in 1926”. (The History of Motherhood) This era also brought about “new contraceptive methods and medicalization of pregnancy…” resulting in women wanting to be viewed as more than “a reproductive organ.” (The History of Motherhood) Today motherhood is divided between the working and stay at home moms, and which group is “the better