Will You Be Mother?: Women Who Choose to Say No

Women are taught from the earliest moments of life that motherhood, along with marriage to a man, is a natural state to which they should aspire. From dollplay as a child to nagging questions of when am I going to become a grandparent as one gets older, the societal pressure to procreate is constant and intense. What then, of women who choose not to have children or are unable to have children? How do they respond to a society and to families that view them as selfish, incomplete, and less then women? In Will You Be Mother? Jane Bartlett interviews fifty women who, for various reasons, have not had children. We hear from women who have chosen to be sterilized in their twenties, others who can never say never but postpone childbearing because of acute ambivalence, women in their sixties who have chosen to never have children and are happy with that choice, and infertile women who have had no choice. They speak of how their own childhoods shaped their decision and, while expressing their frustration at the pressures placed upon them, also exhibit an unequivocal sense of freedom. Will You Be Mother? is a diverse exploration of the personal and public implications of the pressure society puts on women to have children, and a challenging critique of the prevalent belief that motherhood is a natural state for women.

Self-Help

Bartlett, Jane

NYU Press

Women are taught from the earliest moments of life that motherhood, along with marriage to a man, is a natural state to which they should aspire. From dollplay as a child to nagging questions of when am I going to become a grandparent as one gets older, the societal pressure to procreate is constant and intense. What then, of women who choose not to have children or are unable to have children? How do they respond to a society and to families that view them as selfish, incomplete, and less then women? In Will You Be Mother? Jane Bartlett interviews fifty women who, for various reasons, have not had children. We hear from women who have chosen to be sterilized in their twenties, others who can never say never but postpone childbearing because of acute ambivalence, women in their sixties who have chosen to never have children and are happy with that choice, and infertile women who have had no choice. They speak of how their own childhoods shaped their decision and, while expressing their frustration at the pressures placed upon them, also exhibit an unequivocal sense of freedom. Will You Be Mother? is a diverse exploration of the personal and public implications of the pressure society puts on women to have children, and a challenging critique of the prevalent belief that motherhood is a natural state for women.

Humorous and thoughtful quotes from a feminine/feminist point of view.

Ms. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

Reference

Joseph Tabler

As difficult as it can be for parents to cultivate their own spirituality amid the frenzy of their lives, it can be even harder to nurture their children's spiritual development. In Parenting with Spirit, author Jane Bartlett offers parents an inspiring yet practical way to both encourage and celebrate spirituality in their children and their family lives. These 30 child-friendly and interesting ideas include: creating rituals for the holidays, seasons, other festivities; going for nature walks, holding family meetings, storytelling with and without books, pursuing creative activities like art, music, and dance; turning everyday activities into play, and much more. Perfect for parents who are looking for ways to bring their family closer together or simply want to show their kids that life is full of potential and purpose, Parenting with Spirit is sure to add depth and magic to every family's life.

Parenting with Spirit: 30 Ways to Nurture Your Child's Spirituality and Enrich Your Family's Life

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Da Capo Lifelong Books

WILL YOU BE MOTHER

Virago

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bartlett, Jane. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Bartlett, Jane

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Bartlett, Jane. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Will You Be Mother?: Women Who Choose to Say No

Will You Be Mother?: Women Who Choose to Say No

Ms. Bartlett's Familiar Quotations

Parenting with Spirit: 30 Ways to Nurture Your Child's Spirituality and Enrich Your Family's Life

WILL YOU BE MOTHER