50 Happiness-Inducing Pics Of Moms Being Their Hilariously Wholesome Selves (New Pics)

For decades, there has been scientific research focused on motherhood's unique contributions. The consensus is that "the relationship formed through a mother's attentive love provides the foundation for all of the other unique contributions of motherhood."

Scholar Sara Ruddick deemed these contributions reflections of "three central tasks" that provide the foundation of attentive love: to preserve children's lives and well-being, foster children's growth and development, and enable children to become acceptable contributors in society.

Here’s another quote that fits this article, this time by poet and preacher Edwin Chapin: “No language can express the power and beauty and heroism of a mother’s love.” We can all agree on this, but there is also research to back it up. 

Research from the University of Miami found that maternal sensitivity strongly influences language development in children with autism. The study defined maternal sensitivity as “a combination of warmth, responsiveness to the child’s needs, respect for his or her emerging independence, positive regard for the child, and maternal structuring.”

Dr. Jason Baker, co-founder of the California State University Fullerton Center of Autism, stressed the importance of proper parenting in the development of children with conditions like autism. 

“Parenting may matter even more for children with developmental problems such as autism because certain things that tend to develop easily in children with typical neurological development, like social communication, don’t come as naturally for kids with autism, so these skills need to be taught.”