#312 | THE REBUBLIC OF PARENTHOOD | WITH RHIANNON LUCY COSSLETT
From The Happy Mama Movement with Amy Taylor-Kabbaz by Amy Taylor-Kabbaz
October 1, 2025 · 33 min · Season 2 · Episode 2
About this episode
Amy Taylor-Kabbaz speaks with Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett about the emotional and political aspects of motherhood and the need for better support systems for parents.
Welcome, dear listener, to this week’s episode of The Happy Mama Movement Podcast. In this conversation, Amy Taylor-Kabbaz speaks with Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett — journalist, author, and columnist for The Guardian and Vogue — about the profound emotional and political layers of motherhood. Through her own journey, Rhiannon reflects on the uncertainty of choosing to have children, the unspoken vulnerability that follows, and the urgent need for better systems of care and community support for parents everywhere. Together, they explore the tension between personal transformation and societal expectation — how motherhood reshapes identity, challenges old narratives, and reveals how deeply entwined the personal is with the political. We talk about: 🌸 The tender uncertainty of becoming a mother — how few of us ever feel entirely “ready,” and how the decision to have children is layered with love, doubt, and longing. 🌿 The lifelong vulnerability motherhood brings , and how stepping into this role opens us to both immense joy and profound change. 🏠 Why the nuclear family no longer serves us , and how true support is found in wider circles of care — in community, friendship, and shared…
People in this episode
Host: Amy Taylor-Kabbaz
Guest: RHIANNON LUCY COSSLETT
Topics covered
- motherhood
- emotional layers
- political layers
- identity
- community support
Keywords
- vulnerability
- nuclear family
- mental health
- community
- transformation
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: THE REBUBLIC OF PARENTHOOD, The Vagenda, The Tyranny of Lost Things, The Year of the Cat, The Journey to Motherhood, The Reality of Motherhood vs. Expectations, Navigating Mental Health Postpartum
More episodes of The Happy Mama Movement with Amy Taylor-Kabbaz
- #320 | NAVIGATING MOTHERHOOD AND GRIEF | WITH HALEY SMITH · November 18, 2025 · 47 min
- #319 | BRINGING MATRESCENCE INTO HOSPITAL BIRTHING SUITES | WITH EMILY MITCHELL · November 11, 2025 · 30 min
- # 318 | BREAKDOWNS LEAD TO BREAKTHROUGHS | WITH MANDY JACKSON · November 4, 2025 · 33 min
- #317 | TAKE THE MIC | POST-DIAGNOSIS MOTHERHOOD | WITH KRISTEN KILLORAN · October 30, 2025 · 19 min
- #316 | UNDERSTANDING MATERNAL AMBIVALENCE | WITH DR MARGOT LOWY · October 21, 2025 · 39 min
- #315 | HEALING FROM ABUSE AND FINDING YOUR STRENGTH IN MOTHERHOOD | WITH LUCY WYLDE · October 14, 2025 · 34 min
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