Female animals have motherly instincts, why don't all female humans?

Question

It disgusts me that some women that have children don't have the common sense nor instincts to protect, love and care for their babies. Read the newspaper any given day and you will read heartbreaking stories of women abandoning, neglecting and sometimes harming their children, while female animals of all species have an instinct to protect their babies. Why is that?

Answer 1

Hi Destineened,

To start with, your premise that all female animals have motherly instincts simply not true. In fact, many, if not most, female animals learn motherly behavior from watching other females birthing and brooding their young.

What you might be experiencing through the media about human females lacking motherly instincts may be related to how much instruction a given human female received as she grew up and was (or wasn't) exposed to positive maternal behavior. On a more positive note, states, local governments, and many medical institutions have recognized this issue and have been taking steps to provide maternal and parental education to pregnant women, new mothers (and fathers), and caretakers.

I included a link to a hospital in Southern California as an example.

Answer 2

First, most species have no motherly instincts; young are on their own from the start.

But we are a species that needs to care for our young.

No all individual critters of every young-caring species does a good job of caring for their young.

Those who don't tend to not have as many young grow to the point where they successfully raise young of their own.

Consider where you're getting these stories.

There are over 6 BILLION people in the world.

That's really a lot.

News people tend to pick stories that get attention, and are unusual.

So, most people (why let the men off the hook?) DO care for their young as well as they are able.

There are a lot of deeply confused people in the world. Some of them manifest that in their treatment of their offspring.

If you're a mess, and your life's a mess, then how you treat your kids is likely to reflect that.

Sometimes the women who "abandon" their young are trying to do what's best for them. That is, they're panicked, and don't know what to do, and so leave their babies or kids where they expect they'll be found and taken care of.

But, as I said, there are a lot of animals who have abandoned, neglected, or even harmed their off-spring.

So it isn't just humans (why DO you let the males off the hook?)

But humans, more complex, and living in a complex and often hostile world, have more gunk going on.

Often, those who abuse their young were themselves abused when young.

Many, who were messed up when young and still developing, are messed up in such a way that they are compelled to continue the pattern.

This isn't so much an excuse, as a call to help the young who are maltreated. If we heal them, and if we help all parents more, there will be less maltreatment of the young down the road.

Permanently messing you up is one of the reasons that abuse and neglect of the young is such a horrible thing to do.

Thus endeth my core dump on this topic.

Answer 3

I would say because humans have the power of choice so that makes it worse. Not all animals have the mothering instinct and I am sure there are reasons behind it like perhaps nutritional problems or perhaps they were taken away from their mother's too early. If there is something wrong with the babies they are rejected and in some cases eaten by the mother. It would be interesting to find out why. Some herd animals reject their young and have to be fed artificially. Actually just about all animals that I have heard of have a problem with rejection. We had a pug that if we were not quick would turn around and immediately kill her puppies. Motherhood did not appeal to her I guess. The Bible was given us to raise us above the level of the animals...it would be good if more people read it. Mmm

Answer 4

I think because they probably had the children out of social pressure or out of a birth control accident.

Not all women are good mothers just simply by being women. Same way that not all animals are great mothers either. I have seen many cases in my barn where female horses will neglect and abandon a foal and it has to be hand raised or put with a wet mare instead. It is probably chemically predispositioned in the woman or animals head that they are not care takers. It is unfortunate however that some women arent smart enough to realize this and prevent having children altogether

Answer 5

Maternal instincts have been scientifically discredited; there is no such thing. We learn from the people around us how to take care of children.

Not all species take care of their children well. Have you ever watched the discovery channel? Many species of animals eat their young, thinking they're protecting them.

Besides, why should only females have an innate ability to take care of children. Where are the males? They helped in the process! They should help now!

Answer 6

Actually - females in plenty of species of animals neglect their children.

Most of the women who get in the media are mentally ill, on drugs or both. And there are some people who just aren't cut out to be parents. It is primarily a learned thing, and if you don't learn the proper way to take care of children, you get in the news sometimes, or your children do.

Answer 7

There are some female animals who reject "motherhood". The strongest contribution for this behavior is population crowding.
I have no idea why some human females lack motherly instincts. Undiagnosed mental illness could be a possibility. Feelings of futility is another. Why do some males abuse and reject their children. It is a very complicated situation which no one answer will satisfy.

Answer 8

Because animals don't go out at night to party! Like the human mothers who wants to party all the time.

So there is no such thing as "party animal" i think they feel offended with that terminology.

Women who abandon their children "intentionally" were also neglected when they were young. If you grew up with a nurturing mother or parents, there is a less tendency to become a neglectful parent.

Answer 9

Some female animals are bad mothers also. Haven't you heard of rabbits who eat their own young or mal-adjusted chimpanzees who refuse to take care of their offspring? Humans aren't the only ones who neglect their offspring, throughout the evolutionary history there are some mothers who are better capable and willing to care for their offspring, and some who aren't.

You have to realize that not all animals are perfect parents. There's variation in every species on the levels of maternal investment. It sucks but it's just how it is.

Answer 10

Actually, it has been disproved that there is a maternal instinct in women. The truth is, women are raised from young girls to be mothers. They can learn through modeling after their mothers or by playing with dolls. When a young girl watches her mother or other mothers close to her, she sees how they act and take care of their children and this behavior is imprinted in their brain so they act upon it when they have their own children. There really is no maternal instinct.