Why is the mother-daughter relationship so intense?
Halpert: Mothers and daughters historically have had a closely knit, tight bond. And they tend to share their feelings with one another more than men do. Daughters often look up to their mothers and care about how their mothers view their choices. Mothers often see their daughters as a reflection of themselves, more than they do with their sons. Why is the relationship between mothers and daughters more strained today than it has been in past generations? Mothers and daughters have always squabbled. What’s unique about mothers and daughters today is that the two generations have had vastly different upbringings, opportunities and life experiences. Mothers of a generation ago faced far more limited opportunities in the areas of romance, work and childbearing. The two generations are making such fundamentally different life choices today that it inevitably spills over into how mothers and daughters treat one another. Do you see these problems in certain types of mother-daughter relatio
