Maternal Guilt Quotes

There is, I think, far too much guilt generally in society around parenthood, about whether or not you breastfeed or whether or not you bottle feed. We know the evidence is very strong in favour of breastfeeding and the benefits of that, but it shouldn't mean we make people feel bad if they can't do that for some reason.

That's the main reason I gave up my career after John was born and I was pregnant with Andrew. I could not handle going away day after day. The thought of going away before they got up and coming back after they were in bed was intolerable.

guilt to motherhood is like grapes to wine

I haven't really given much thought to the whole 'working mother' thing.

The offspring of the woman, Jesus Christ, came into the world to save women who have dethroned God, taken His place, defined personhood as tissue, and willed the death of their own child. It can't be reversed, but it can be forgiven. That is why Christ died.

I expend far too much of my maternal energies on guilt and regret.

You never know in retrospect whether you did or didn't do exactly the right thing, stay-at-home mothers, gone-away mothers, all ofus worry whether we should have done something differently than we did.

Obviously no parent does everything right. It's this weird thing that happens where you are striving to be as good as you can be so that they turn out well. And that requires that you be a really great, evolved, aware person in every moment. Which is pretty awesome. But it's also putting tremendous pressure on yourself--which is why women feel so guilty!

I had children very young. You go through a period of immense guilt about being a working mother.

I never really believe people when they say they have no regrets - mine is not being a mother.

I don't think women can have it all. I just don't think so...My husband and I have been married for 34 years, and we have two daughters. And every day you have to make a decision about whether you are going to be a wife or a mother. In fact, many times during the day you have to make those decisions...We co-opted our families to help us. We plan our lives meticulously so we can be decent parents. But if you ask our daughters, I'm not sure they will say that I've been a good mom.

My mother should have been Jewish. She could have taught a class on how to induce guilt.

I think that any moms that leave, even for the day at work, and come home every night will tell you that it's not easy.

Stay-at-home mothers, working mothers, people are very tough on each other. I don't see that in the world of men. I don't see working men who have children, and those who don't, judging each other. I think there's a different category of expectation.

I've shared the fate of many working mothers; I felt guilty like them.

Sometimes you think you aren't a good mama; you always feel a bit guilty when you're a mom. You want to be everywhere.

The woman who purposely destroys her unborn child is guilty of murder. With us there is no nice enquiry as to its being formed or unformed.

On one thing professionals and amateurs agree: mothers can't win.

There's a repression against mothers where we're expected to be full-time workers and pretend we're not mothers, and then expected to be full-time mothers who pretend we're not working. Simultaneously, within the hours of the week that exist.

A lot of mums are torn between their work and missing out on important milestones in their children's lives.

A mother should never be blamed for working.

Our standards for motherhood are so high that many of us harbor intense, secret guilt for every harsh word we speak to our children, every negative thought that enters our minds.

The crime of a mother is a heavy burden.

'Bad mother' is probably the worst thing you can say to any woman who has children.

I've never understood women who, because of their children, pose as victims and don't allow themselves any other activities.