Living in the Shadow of the Too-Good Mother

by Patti Ashley, Ph.D.

Mothering Beyond Image: Living in the Shadow of the Too-Good Mother is a journey into the heart and soul of mothering. It takes you to places that have remained hidden due to out-dated beliefs about what it means to be a good mother. The book reveals the truth about being a good-enough mother and dispells the myths of being a perfect parent.

In March of 2010 I  entered the Next Top Author Contest as a way to introduce my book to many people and ultimately win a book publishing contract with Hampton Roads Publishing.   Even though I did not win the contest,  I was very happy to have made it to the second round of 250 authors and I am still seeking a publisher for the book. Please help me get this important book out to all of the women and mothers you know, and all of their friends by signing up to be on my mailing list and asking your friends to sign up as well!

After 29 years of raising four children (now ages 22-29,) and working in pediatric, mental health and public education settings, I have written a book that transforms how women feel about themselves as mothers.

In 1963 Betty Friedan’s book The Feminine Mystique, revealed that many mothers were feeling empty, incomplete and invisible, which Friedan labeled  “the problem that has no name.”   Even though times have changed quite a bit since 1963, a 2008 study by Maria Shriver and the Center for American Progress revealed that many women still express similar feelings of isolation and emptiness.

“I learned women are hungry for something that’s missing in their lives, a place to connect. They say they feel increasingly isolated, invisible, stressed, and misunderstood. They say the news media, where I’d worked for 30 years, don’t accurately reflect their lives anymore. They say women on TV shows and in the movies certainly don’t either. They can’t believe how out-of-touch government is with who women are today and what they need to survive. ”
Maria Shriver, The Shriver Report http://awomansnation.com/awn.php

Mothering beyond Image is a book that helps women connect more deeply to themselves and others, therefore feeling more authentic, mindful and whole. It is based on hundreds of stories I have heard from women over the past 29 years, my own personal story, and the results of my doctoral dissertation on the subject. Mothering beyond Image weaves real stories and common themes into archetypal mythology and the rapidly changing roles of women, creating the fabric of a new parenting paradigm.

To learn more about how to live a more authentic, mindful and balanced experience of mothering in an often chaotic and hectic time, sign up for a workshop, schedule a parent mentoring session,  and/or join the Mothering Beyond Image blog to connect to other parents on the journey of authentic mothering. If you would like to schedule a workshop in your area, send me an e-mail: pashleyphd@aol.com