“Builds pressure on women”: family researchers want to abolish Mother’s Day

Women should not be reduced to their role as mothers. The researcher Wassilios Fthenakis therefore wants to rededicate Mother’s Day to “Parents’ Day”.

A daughter hugs her mother and congratulates her on Mother’s Day. Angel Santana Garcia/Imago

The family and education researcher Wassilios Fthenakis is in favor of dedicating Mother’s Day to Parents’ Day. Otherwise, mothers would be given a responsibility that they could not and did not perceive on their own, Fthenakis told the German Press Agency before Mother’s Day on May 14th.

Father’s Day could also be rededicated in this way. “Parents’ Day as a day of love, togetherness, understanding and respect.” No society can exist without parents, said Fthenakis. “We will not depict the entire diversity with one model, but the spirit behind it.” Mother’s Day was first held in Germany 100 years ago.

Researcher: Women should not be reduced to their role as mothers

Fthenakis emphasized that women should not be reduced to their role as mothers. “Mother’s Day puts pressure on women who don’t have time to look after the children during the day.” With Mother’s Day, society dictates how women should be. “Mother’s Day is a standardization tool.”

Parent researcher Désirée Waterstradt said about the idea of ​​a parent’s day: “For a while I also thought it was a good idea. But the great danger of this today is that you want to feel very modern and therefore simply obscure the evolutionary, historical and current differences between motherhood and fatherhood.” A father can choose whether he wants to be cooperative, caring and child-centered – and if so If he decides against it, it will not be held against him in society either. “It’s completely different for mothers,” said Waterstradt from the University of Education in Karlsruhe.