Concept
Good-enough mother
Winnicott's term for the ordinary mother, or other caregiver, who at first adapts almost completely to the infant's needs and then, as the infant can bear it, gradually adapts less. Her measured failures, rather than flawless care, let the infant meet reality, tolerate frustration and come to experience the mother as a separate person.
Read more- Introduced by
- Donald Winnicott
- Key works
- 3
- Related
- Holding environment
introduced by
- Donald Winnicott 1953 Set out in the transitional objects paper, where the good-enough mother's graduated failure of adaptation leads the infant from illusion to disillusionment.
gave rise to
- Holding environment Holding names the environmental provision that the good-enough mother gives in the earliest phase, before the infant can tell itself apart from her.