Showing results for "mothering"

• present participle of mother.

mothering

American  

[muhth-er-ing] / ˈmʌð ər ɪŋ /

noun

1. the nurturing of a child by a mother or in the way that a mother does.

   I'm so relieved to be finally able to do the mothering of my children in my own home.

2. the act of caring for or protecting like a mother, sometimes in an excessive way.

   Even though her cold wasn't better yet, she was getting tired of his mothering.

3. (in rural England) the custom of visiting one's parents on Laetare Sunday with a present.

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Etymology

Origin of mothering

First recorded in 1640–50; mother ¹ + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mothering

While mothering her two teenagers, one of them newly identifies as nonbinary — “It was Laurel’s job to not make a big deal about this” — she obsesses about her husband’s questionable fidelity.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026

Would my mothering improve before the baby was born?

From Slate ● May 10, 2026

In her new Netflix movie “Goodbye June,” she’s the one who needs mothering.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 15, 2025

Reflecting on her character's journey in the film, Adams explained: "Through her parenting - through her mothering - she got in touch with something bigger and something primal."

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2024

This was the most mothering we got, if you don’t count her coming to claim us.

From "One Crazy Summer" by Rita Williams-Garcia