The Rise of the “Beta Mom”: Authority Guilt and the Collapse of Confident Parenting (opens in new tab)

The modern American mother spends an astonishing amount of time speaking to children as though she is negotiating the release of hostages. “Would we maybe like to put our shoes on now?” “Can we think about using gentle hands?” “I’m noticing your body wants to hit.” Meanwhile, the child is standing on the kitchen island eating dry pancake mix with the emotional confidence of a Roman emperor. Somewhere online, someone has decided to call this woman a “beta mom.” This is not a clinical term. No ...