Is the concept of âmother blameâ a method to control women? Is motherhood a really a fearsome job? Will a motherâs mistake or inattention damage a child? Is this different from the fear that fathers have about the safety of their children?
âA Potent Spell: Mother Love and the Power of Fearâ is a recent book written by Janna Malamud Smith, a clinical psychotherapist and daughter of writer Bernard Malamud.
Smith argues that the motherhood fear of losing a child is central to motherhood, and mostly overlooked as a historical force that has induced mothers throughout time to shape their own lives to better shelter their young, the expense of their own future.
I spoke with Dr. Janna Malamud Smith from her home in Massachusetts, and asked her to begin by discussing the different level of feat that fathers and mothers have toward their children.
The book Janna Malamud Smith recommends is âBiography of Samuel Pepysâ by Clair Tomilin.
Originally Broadcast: February 18, 2003
Barry Vogel, Esq. is the host and producer. Ignacio Ayala is the assistant producer.
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Janna Malamud Smith â "Why Mothers Worry About Their Children"