Maternal thinking

Motherhood, like all activity, brings its own distinctive perception, conduct and perspectives. The process of mothering, whether of one's biological children or of any child - even normally accepted mothering activity when carried out by a man, brings its own work and thought forms. Mothering therefore not only impinges on the child being mothered but also on the person doing the mothering, developing virtues, insights and intelligence which, if not common to all mothers, most mothers would accept as what they aspire to. This process of shaping heart and mind of both mother and child may be referred to as a [moral education]

. Both the physical care of the child and contact with its strong and contradictory passions, its nature and its will has the effect of sharpening or moulding qualities such as respect for nature, ability to accept change and a tolerance for emotional ambivalence.