Motherhood

Course Description

In this insightful course, Polly Young-Eisendrath unpacks mothering and the ‘institution of motherhood’. Mothering has been a part of the human experience ever since we’ve been on earth. While it was something women did, it wasn’t always something women identified with, and it certainly wasn’t something they were perfecting.

In this context, Polly speaks about hothouse mothering;  the archetypes of the Great Mother, Terrible Mother and the Divine child and the famous Rumpelstiltskin fairytale. She helps us ponder on what healthy motherhood could look like. She cautions against trying to achieve perfection in motherhood and the idealization of both mother and child. 

Motherhood can be a time of great growth and learning, but also of challenge and difficulty. The course emphasizes the importance of finding a balance between caring for others and taking care of oneself. Many mothers struggle with guilt and self-doubt, but Polly reminds us that it is essential to prioritize self-care in order to be an effective and healthy parent. 

As a gift to all participants, we offer a bonus class along with the course. Here Polly shines a new light on shopping. In an interesting take, she examines some archetypes and stereotypes that come up in relation to choosing for ourselves at the department store. 

This course is ideal if

• You want to understand how motherhood as a concept has evolved historically
• You wonder about your own struggles with understanding when your mothering is good-enough
• You are interested in exploring archetypes and complexes related to the mother-child relationship
• You want to analyze and contextualize some of the dynamics and challenges of motherhood
• You want to develop a healthy relationship to mothering on a personal level

Course Overview

Class 1. History & Introduction

In this class, Polly paints a fascinating historical picture of the institution of motherhood. She takes us through key moments in the 20th century-  including the discovery of penicillin, access to birth control, the birth of feminism, the world wars, John Bowlby’s research on attachment– and we see how they have shaped ideas of motherhood in contemporary society.

Class 2. Archetypes & Complexes

In this class, we learn about three important archetypes associated with the mother-child dyad: The Great Mother, The Terrible Mother and The Divine Child. Within the framework of these archetypes, Polly helps us see how mothers can fulfill their individual paths and at the same time allow their children to fulfill their own destinies.

Class 3. The Rumpelstiltskin Fairytale

In this class,  Polly uses the Grimms´ fairytale of Rumpelstiltskin to analyze a woman’s longing to create the ‘most amazing’ and ‘incredible’ child through her single-handed dedication. She ends the class with some ideas on how one can cultivate healthy motherhood on a personal level.

Bonus Class: Women’s shopping & Desire

In this class, Polly talks about desire, consumerism, beauty, and choice in regard to women’s development and identities. She introduces the archetype she calls the ‘Hungry Ghost’ and examines stereotypes around what shopping can mean to women.

By the end of this course you will

• Understand the concept of motherhood in a historical context
• Recognize how living your own life independent of being a mother is an important part of mothering
• Feel more at ease with being a good-enough mother as opposed to the perfect mother
• Recognize where you may be in your journey of motherhood if you are a mother or want to be one
• Deepen your understanding of your relationship with your own mother