The phrase “the good enough mother” was coined by Donald Winnicott to take the pressure off mothers. In his view, most mothers would quite naturally do what was required to ensure the healthy development of their children without having to listen to the likes of him (although, admittedly, this did not prevent him from doing a series of radio talks on the matter). You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be good enough. Winnicott, as with many things he said, was of course correct. Obviously, it is not the 1940s, so “good enough” now refers to good enough care, not just mothering.
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