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The 'good enough' mother

Psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott helped shape childcare in Britain through ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ radio broadcasts in the 1940s and 50s. He suggested mothers follow their instincts and ignore rules.

Psychoanalyst and paediatrician Donald Winnicott helped shape childcare in Britain through a series of ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ radio broadcasts in the 1940s and 50s. He suggested mothers did best when they followed their instincts, got to know their babies and ignored prescribed rules. He became most famous for developing the idea of what he called β€˜the good-enough mother’. He also introduced the term 'transitional object' to describe the favourite teddy that babies cling to, He suggested it represented an important phase of development, helping babies develop a sense of self, separate from their mothers. Claire Bowes has been speaking to retired psychoanalyst Jennifer Johns, who knew Donald Winnicott.

PHOTO: A mother with her baby in the 1960s. Credit: ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ.

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9 minutes

Last on

Sat 14 Nov 2020 03:50GMT

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  • Fri 13 Nov 2020 08:50GMT
  • Fri 13 Nov 2020 12:50GMT
  • Fri 13 Nov 2020 18:50GMT
  • Fri 13 Nov 2020 23:50GMT
  • Sat 14 Nov 2020 03:50GMT

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