--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We've never been in a time where mothers…" description: "\"We've never been in a time where mothers - parenthood, but particularly motherhood - is so fetishized. There's a whole industry around motherhood and m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/meghan-daum-18332_bonding_we-ve-never-been-in-a-time-where-mothers_1741475.jpg" --- # We've never been in a time where mothers - parenthood, but… ![“We've never been in a time where mothers - parenthood, but particularly motherhood - is so fetishized. There's a whole industry around motherhood and mother-daughter bonds. And certainly when my mother was sick I found there was an incredible expectation for me to tell everybody how we were having…” quote by Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/meghan-daum-18332_bonding_we-ve-never-been-in-a-time-where-mothers_1741475.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/meghan-daum-18332_bonding_we-ve-never-been-in-a-time-where-mothers_1741475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/700/meghan-daum-18332_bonding_we-ve-never-been-in-a-time-where-mothers_1741475.jpg) > “We've never been in a time where mothers - parenthood, but particularly motherhood - is so fetishized. There's a whole industry around motherhood and mother-daughter bonds. And certainly when my mother was sick I found there was an incredible expectation for me to tell everybody how we were having this bonding experience and how healing it was.” [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern culture commodifies motherhood, turning it into a marketable identity and demanding public performance of maternal bonds. **In simple terms:** Motherhood is turned into a product. Key Takeaway Question the expectations placed on mothers. Themes motherhood commercialization identity performance Mood critical empathetic Type cultural personal When to use this quote - parenting blogs - social media - family therapy - media criticism Key Concepts consumer culture gender expectations emotional labor Questions to Reflect On - What pressures do mothers feel to perform? - How can authentic mothering be reclaimed? A Different Perspective May ignore positive aspects of community support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bonding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bonding/) [Daughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/daughter/) [Expectations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expectations/) [Healing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/healing/) [Industry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/industry/) [Mother](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mother/) [Motherhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/motherhood/) [Parenthood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenthood/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [We've never been in a time where mothers - parenthood, but particularly motherhood - is so fetishized.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/we-ve-never-been-in-a-time-where-mothers-parenthood-but-particularly-2/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [I wasn't sure what I expected her to do or say to this. It was all new to me from that second on. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-wasn-t-sure-what-i-expected-her-to-do-or-say-to-this-it-was-all-new/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [The bonding off the court correlates a lot to on the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jrue-holiday/the-bonding-off-the-court-correlates-a-lot-to-on-the-court/) [Jrue Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jrue-holiday/) > [In some ways, the finding that financial education doesn't provide long-term payoffs is hardly surprising. After all, how much do you remember from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/in-some-ways-the-finding-that-financial-education-doesn-t-provide/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [I'm a social butterfly. Once I get somewhere, I can make myself at ease and start the team bonding and build a relationship with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-gooden/i-m-a-social-butterfly-once-i-get-somewhere-i-can-make-myself-at-ease/) [Drew Gooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-gooden/) > [If there's a partnership in doing a dangerous thing, there's a real sense of bonding. Plus, the feeling of freedom is sexy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-marquardt/if-there-s-a-partnership-in-doing-a-dangerous-thing-there-s-a-real/) [Bridget Marquardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-marquardt/) > [People do need a social license to go, "Ha ha ha," and have a good time. It's a strange thing. There's a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/people-do-need-a-social-license-to-go-ha-ha-ha-and-have-a-good-time/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [Once we have conceived of time and space, once we have accepted their existence, then that implies that there is a structural order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/once-we-have-conceived-of-time-and-space-once-we-have-accepted-their/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [Football spectators appreciate a bit of loyalty, and we're seeing that less and less. There are echelons of football, as in society, where some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-nichols/football-spectators-appreciate-a-bit-of-loyalty-and-we-re-seeing-that/) [Vincent Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-nichols/) > [Nostalgia is also a trait of the organizations that I call lodges - everything from corporate cultures to religious sects. Their bonding power often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-james/nostalgia-is-also-a-trait-of-the-organizations-that-i-call-lodges/) [Jennifer James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-james/) > [ What's cool is that in the story of the movie \[The Hangover\] our characters are also really kind of getting to know each other… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-helms/what-s-cool-is-that-in-the-story-of-the-movie-the-hangover-our/) [Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-helms/) > [“You grew up too fast, baby." Didn't always feel that way, especially this morning when I couldn't find my other flip-flop and I'd been,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/you-grew-up-too-fast-baby-didn-t-always-feel-that-way-especially-this/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [“If you cannot wait for time to unearth roots, you must dig.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelou-keramati/if-you-cannot-wait-for-time-to-unearth-roots-you-must-dig/) Nelou Keramati > [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) ## More by Meghan Daum > [I've always been a late bloomer in some ways, and extremely precocious in other ways. When I was twenty I was living in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-ve-always-been-a-late-bloomer-in-some-ways-and-extremely-precocious/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [The greatest sex toy ever invented may be the telephone. Sometimes there's nothing more erotic than a disembodied voice, no question more tantalizing than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/the-greatest-sex-toy-ever-invented-may-be-the-telephone-sometimes/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [A lot of the reason I left New York, in addition to being so broke, was that I just felt I was becoming provincial…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/a-lot-of-the-reason-i-left-new-york-in-addition-to-being-so-broke-was/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [I don't keep a diary or a journal. Sometimes I'll send emails to friends and that's a way of recording what I was thinking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-don-t-keep-a-diary-or-a-journal-sometimes-i-ll-send-emails-to/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [I grew up in a town where there were no adults over forty who weren't somebody's parents. It was, unfortunately, the kind of town…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-grew-up-in-a-town-where-there-were-no-adults-over-forty-who-weren-t/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [I mean, being provincial is a privilege in a way. Also people in New York think everybody interacts because they all take the subway.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-mean-being-provincial-is-a-privilege-in-a-way-also-people-in-new/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [I just am a person who loves houses. In a way, it's dovetailed into one of the themes of The Unspeakable: Why do you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-just-am-a-person-who-loves-houses-in-a-way-it-s-dovetailed-into-one/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [For me, one of the reasons I love this form - the personal essay form - is because it's a way of forming an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/for-me-one-of-the-reasons-i-love-this-form-the-personal-essay-form-is/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [New York is such a special place. It's really intense for people because they live here when they're young. On top of the energy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/new-york-is-such-a-special-place-it-s-really-intense-for-people/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [Evan Handler is not only a fine actor, he’s a damn good writer. It’s Only Temporary is wise and funny and as righteously indignant…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/evan-handler-is-not-only-a-fine-actor-he-s-a-damn-good-writer-it-s/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [I feel that I'm an essayist and that my best work gets done in that form. I wanted to do a book where the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-feel-that-i-m-an-essayist-and-that-my-best-work-gets-done-in-that/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [Maybe learning how to be out in the big world isn't the epic journey everyone thinks it is. Maybe that's actually the easy part.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/maybe-learning-how-to-be-out-in-the-big-world-isn-t-the-epic-journey/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [I don't understand why it's more socially acceptable to say that you are a shallow person than to just say this is not something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/i-don-t-understand-why-it-s-more-socially-acceptable-to-say-that-you/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [As soon as I accepted that I am this kind of writer and I happen to live here, and stopped going to meetings and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/as-soon-as-i-accepted-that-i-am-this-kind-of-writer-and-i-happen-to/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) > [There may well be a few extremists out there somewhere calling for a militant, women-only utopia, but why should this be the definition of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/meghan-daum/there-may-well-be-a-few-extremists-out-there-somewhere-calling-for-a/) [Meghan Daum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) [Explore all 35 Meghan Daum quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/meghan-daum/) ## More Bonding quotes > [Broken by hardships, disappointments and tragedy, people can become discouraged and cynical. But lives can also be mended. Put back together well, they won't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-goodier/broken-by-hardships-disappointments-and-tragedy-people-can-become/) [Steve Goodier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-goodier/) > [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [“If you cannot wait for time to unearth roots, you must dig.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nelou-keramati/if-you-cannot-wait-for-time-to-unearth-roots-you-must-dig/) Nelou Keramati > [“You grew up too fast, baby." Didn't always feel that way, especially this morning when I couldn't find my other flip-flop and I'd been,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/you-grew-up-too-fast-baby-didn-t-always-feel-that-way-especially-this/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [ What's cool is that in the story of the movie \[The Hangover\] our characters are also really kind of getting to know each other… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-helms/what-s-cool-is-that-in-the-story-of-the-movie-the-hangover-our/) [Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-helms/) > [Nostalgia is also a trait of the organizations that I call lodges - everything from corporate cultures to religious sects. Their bonding power often…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-james/nostalgia-is-also-a-trait-of-the-organizations-that-i-call-lodges/) [Jennifer James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-james/) > [Football spectators appreciate a bit of loyalty, and we're seeing that less and less. There are echelons of football, as in society, where some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vincent-nichols/football-spectators-appreciate-a-bit-of-loyalty-and-we-re-seeing-that/) [Vincent Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vincent-nichols/) > [Once we have conceived of time and space, once we have accepted their existence, then that implies that there is a structural order to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/once-we-have-conceived-of-time-and-space-once-we-have-accepted-their/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [People do need a social license to go, "Ha ha ha," and have a good time. It's a strange thing. There's a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dylan-moran/people-do-need-a-social-license-to-go-ha-ha-ha-and-have-a-good-time/) [Dylan Moran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dylan-moran/) > [If there's a partnership in doing a dangerous thing, there's a real sense of bonding. Plus, the feeling of freedom is sexy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bridget-marquardt/if-there-s-a-partnership-in-doing-a-dangerous-thing-there-s-a-real/) [Bridget Marquardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bridget-marquardt/) > [I'm a social butterfly. Once I get somewhere, I can make myself at ease and start the team bonding and build a relationship with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drew-gooden/i-m-a-social-butterfly-once-i-get-somewhere-i-can-make-myself-at-ease/) [Drew Gooden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drew-gooden/) > [In some ways, the finding that financial education doesn't provide long-term payoffs is hardly surprising. After all, how much do you remember from your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-thaler/in-some-ways-the-finding-that-financial-education-doesn-t-provide/) [Richard Thaler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-thaler/) > [The bonding off the court correlates a lot to on the court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jrue-holiday/the-bonding-off-the-court-correlates-a-lot-to-on-the-court/) [Jrue Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jrue-holiday/) > [I wasn't sure what I expected her to do or say to this. It was all new to me from that second on. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/i-wasn-t-sure-what-i-expected-her-to-do-or-say-to-this-it-was-all-new/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [What is the purpose and meaning and nature of sexual intercourse? It seems to me to be quite clear. It's for two things. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janet-e-smith/what-is-the-purpose-and-meaning-and-nature-of-sexual-intercourse-it/) [Janet E. Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janet-e-smith/) [Browse all 197 Bonding quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bonding/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "We've never been in a time where mothers - parenthood, but particularly motherhood - is so fetishized. There's a whole industry around motherhood and mother-daughter bonds. 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