A brief definition

In this blog, I will use the word mother, not parent, because I am generally talking about a role--the general, not specific individuals. I understand that there are many alloparents in the world. That some children have more support from fathers or aunts or grandparents than mothers. But, one of my points is that the devaulation of motherhood is linked to gender and gender roles. Therefore, the female word seems to be the best choice. Therefore, if you are an aunt or a single father, please do not feel excluded or undervalued. All caregiving is important, and in some ways, relevant to this discussion. But here, I will focus on concept of motherhood as it relates primarily to women.