May is not only the month that Mother’s Day falls within, but May is also Mental Health Awareness Month. I believe that the attention brought to both mental health and mothers in the same month, although maybe not intentional, is no mistake. Mother’s have the most important role in a child’s development, and thus society’s development in relation to mental health. Mother Theresa famously and accurately said, “If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”
The bond and attachment between a child and their mother (or primary caregiver) shapes all the subsequent relationships in the child’s life. How a child learns to trust, feel safe, and rely on others is shaped in the child’s most sensitive, developing years of life. A child’s close friendships and romantic relationships often replicate their attachment style modeled by their mother. This development begins even in utero, with the mother’s emotional– turned chemical reactions affecting the infant’s perceptions of a safe world. Once born, the mother’s gaze and the mother’s touch shape the neurodevelopment of the child, even affecting the child’s capacity for emotional regulation and even intelligence. A mother’s consistent care is some of the most important and consuming work a person can do.
A mother’s love and consistency impacts the fabric of society, the fabric of the world.
Despite this important role, motherhood is often a thankless job. For the mother’s that don’t hear it enough (all of you), I want to personally thank you for the consistent and endless work you do to love your children. In my mind as a therapist, it is inarguably the most important work on the planet. Please take this month to practice caring for yourself and personal mental health in the same way you love as a mother. You are superheroes.
