An almost Perfect Mother – New Podcast series with Isabelle Roskam

26.04.22

We are delighted to be launching our new podcast series An almost Perfect Mother featuring Isabelle Roskam, professor of development and parenting psychology at the University of Louvain, Belgium. Isabelle specializes in child behavioral disorders and parental burnout.

The weekly program covers many issues of concern to mothers including The perfect mother syndrome and the consequences of that, not just on children but the entire family.

Isabelle explains to Laurence vanden Abeele, presenter of the show and Head of MMM Belgium, how society asks a mother to raise her children as if she had no job, to work as if she had no children, and to look like a woman who has no children and no job.

Another topic the program looks at is Parental Burnout – is it a buzzword or a reality in parenting today?

The role of the father also comes under the spotlight, because parenthood obviously involves not just the mother but the father too. Isabelle tells Laurence how important it is for the father to take his place as a responsible family man, even in cases of separation.

Happy parents, happy children! tackles the key question of whether a happy mother has a more fulfilled child. Isabelle emphasizes that we tend to think only about the wellbeing of the children, forgetting that the wellbeing of the parents is just as if not more essential.

Listening to the Podcasts

Broadcast in French, you can hear the full interviews by clicking here.

Say tuned for more!

Our thanks to LouïZ Radio for the use of their studio.

If you are interested in the topics discussed and would like to learn more about the burn-out prevention tool created by Isabelle Roskam and Moïra Mikolajczak, please visit their site.

 

Most read articles

Europe Must Listen to Mothers: Our landmark report heads to the European Parliament

28.08.25

On 22 September 2025, the voices of mothers will take centre stage in Brussels. For the first time, Make Mothers Matter (MMM) will present its State of Motherhood in Europe

Lire plus

Belgian Mothers Face Alarming Rates of Burnout and Perinatal Depression, New EU Survey Finds

03.07.25

Belgian mothers are facing a mental health crisis. According to the State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 survey by Make Mothers Matter (MMM) and Kantar, Belgium reports the highest rates

Lire plus

Parental Mental Health Takes Centre Stage at the French National Assembly

02.04.25

Paris, France – On April 2nd, Make Mothers Matter was honoured to have key findings from its State of Motherhood in Europe 2024 report cited at the French National Assembly

Lire plus
See all the articlesof the category

Latest News from MMM and its Network

Job Sharing: A Promising Solution for Working Mothers

24.03.26

By Ariane de Liedekerke, Network Co-ordinator, Make Mothers Matter While many women are still sidelined professionally after becoming mothers, leading to a lose-lose situation, some companies are testing new wa

Read more

Recognising Care
The Relevance of Parenting Skills in the EU Skill Portability Initiative

16.03.26

Make Mothers Matter (MMM) responded to the Public Consultation on the European Commission’s upcoming Skill Portability Initiative. We submitted a paper outlining our views and provided feedback on the need to

Read more

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Mental Health Crisis Facing Young Mothers in Europe

14.03.26

UN Geneva – An MMM submission to the OHCHR call for input on the impact of mental health challenges on the enjoyment of human rights by young people highlights a critical, often overlooked human rights issue:

Read more

Climate finance must prioritise mothers and care

13.03.26

UN Geneva – Responding to the OHCHR Call for inputs on Climate Financing and Human Rights MMM argues that climate finance must prioritise mothers, unpaid caregivers, and maternal health in order to be truly e

Read more

Runa khan at HRC61: Climate change, a lived violation of basic rights for many

13.03.26

UN Geneva – Runa Khan, Founder and Director of Friendship, our member organisation from Bangladesh, was among the four civil society speakers selected to deliver an intervention during the annual High Level S

Read more

MMM’s Response to the EU Public Consultation on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

12.03.26

Make Mothers Matter (MMM) has submitted a formal response to the recent consultation by the European Commission on the Strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities up to 2030, calling for greater recogn

Read more