Today's parents and children are subject to a very different set of circumstances to earlier generations.
Jo Hage, General Manager of badmothersclub.co.uk, believes that much of the pressure on Mums is a result of the idea that children need to be constantly engaged in formal activities.
Below she explains how this results in "helicopter parenting".
Forum fightback
In defiance of any pressure to conform to the apple-pie imagery of happy-ever-after families, some women are admitting that, whilst they may love their children very much, being a mum is not always enjoyable.
The provocatively titled Bad Mothers Club makes its intentions clear from the start. It aims to bring more perspective, and a sense of humour, to the idea of being a mother.
Concerned that women are constantly plagued with feelings of inadequacy for failing to match up to the idealised vision of family life, author and journalist Stephanie Calman launched the Bad Mothers Club in February 2003.
In the press release which accompanied the sites launch, Calman explained her motives.
“The idea for this really did come to me at the school gate. A very glamorous mother, who works full-time, was saying she only gets her children to school by putting them to bed in their uniforms and giving them chocolate for breakfast in the car. We’re all compromising, taking short cuts and worrying - imagining that everyone else is ‘doing it properly’.”
Current general manager of the site, Jo Hage, said that the message resonated with many women.
“So many women could understand what she was saying, could understand the message that this was a guilt-free zone where you could go and say what you really feel about parenting, and get your individuality back.”
“The ethos of Bad Mothers Club is very much step back, you’re doing better than you think you’re doing, don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. Back off a bit and just enjoy your children, enjoy the life you have with them.”
While there are a number of sites for parents on the internet, the Bad Mothers Club has a very distinctive tone.
“There are a few very big parenting sites but I think we’re unique in that we’re much more light-hearted. We’ve got the fun side. We’re much more of an escape where you can be honest and say, 'It's chicken nuggets again tonight because I’m not cooking'.”
And she believes that the message is getting through:
"I do think that people are starting to realise that there is more to life than rushing around all the time trying to be perfect."