: Children may look to their parents' romantic relationship as a model for their own future partnerships. The quality and health of the parental relationship can have a lasting impact on children.

: Warm, responsive mothering typically leads to adults who are comfortable with intimacy, trust their partners, and manage conflict constructively.

For too long, romantic heroines existed in an emotional vacuum. Think of Cinderella—where is her mother? Dead. The Little Mermaid—where is Ariel’s mother? Unmentioned. Even in classic literature, mothers were often killed off early to free the protagonist for adventure and love.