A Good MotherBy Mary Wollstonecraft1759-1797(English. The mother of Mary, wife of the poet Shelley. One of the earliest advocates of the right of woman to education, and political rights.)
By Mary Wollstonecraft1759-1797
(English. The mother of Mary, wife of the poet Shelley. One of the earliest advocates of the right of woman to education, and political rights.)
To be a good mother, a woman must have sense, and that independence of mind which few women possess who are taught to depend entirely on their husbands. Meek wives are, in general, foolish mothers; wanting their children to love them best, and take their part, in secret against the father, who is held up as a scarecrow. When chastisement is necessary, though they have offended the mother, the father must inflict the punishment; he must be the judge in all disputes; ... I ... mean to insist that unless the understanding of woman is enlarged, and her character rendered firm, but being allowed to govern her own conduct, she will never have sufficient sense or command of temper to manage her children properly.