Mother’s Day is problematic for the many women who had/have a troubled relationship with their mothers. It isn’t talked about much & probably isn’t researched enough but it’s very common for mothers to have resentful relationships with their girls. Maybe that’s not true in every culture, but it certainly is in the US. Maybe it wasn’t true before feminism in the 1960s but it sure was after.

Girl’s forms of rebellion are different from boys & are in some ways more confrontational & honest. Many mothers can’t handle that. The tensions that develop don’t usually rise to the level of abuse–though sometimes they do. But the relationship, even if loving, is filled with subtle & acute conflicts & very often competitions.