Motherhood has always been hard. But today's particular pressures may make it even tougher. Unlike in, say, the first half of the 20th Century, mothers now are expected to give their 'all' to their children in terms of their time, labour and emotional, mental and financial resources – while still being high-performing at work and in their relationships. In 1996, this cultural construction of motherhood was given a label that stuck: 'intensive mothering'.
