There are many mommy sites on the web now all catering to specific types of mommies.
The “crunchy” mommy, the “silky” mommy, and the “scrunchy” mommy are just a few of the common lingo terms you hear being thrown around.
And it would be easier to research your preferences for your parenting lifestyle if you knew exactly what to call your mommy worldview.
For example, researching what diapers may be best for your baby is no easy task anymore. There are so many options and each “type” of mommy will recommend a different one.
There are cloth, disposable, organic disposable, and cloth with disposable liners. Check out our article, “Finally! Diaper Dilemma Decoded: Cloth Vs. Disposable“, to find out the pros and cons each one offers!
But you may not want to be labeled or defined by titles. The problem with that, however, is information is often categorized by labels or titles, and naturally you are going to fall in line somewhere.
So let’s look into some of these terms and what they mean.
The term “crunchy” came from the sound granola makes when you eat it—it crunches. Why granola? Because granola, stereotypically, is associated with health-conscious, hippy type people. And what do hippy type people love? They love all things natural, environmentally safe, and healthy!
Now to put that ideology towards the life of motherhood, Krystle K from The Snap Mom writes an encompassing list of “crunchy” mommy choices:
“Natural birthing, home-birthing, placenta encapsulating (we have a video on this), breastfeeding, baby-wearing, baby-led weaning, cloth diapering, ECing (elimination communication), co-sleeping, bed sharing, non or selective vaccinating, anti-circumcision, attachment parenting techniques, homeschooling or un-schooling, natural medicine (lots of probiotics), natural living, organic eating plus many more that would fall into that same train of thought…”
Some terms not as popular or as well known about “crunchy” mom preferences are elimination communication and attachment parenting. So let me explain.
Elimination communication is picking up on cues and signals from your baby to learn when they need to urinate or have a bowel movement. This is started when they are very young, with some parents having their babies eliminating waste on a toilet by six months!
Attachment parenting is encouraging the attachment of mother and child, both emotionally and physically. You would baby-wear in a carrier throughout the day, have them sleep with you during the night, and empathize with your baby through physical closeness.
Since all children advance and develop at slightly different times, with the crunchy mommy approach, you do not force any developments on your child and allow nature to lead.
If your baby or child is not ready to be left alone, you stay with them. If your infant is fine with breastmilk and doesn’t want to eat solids when that six-month mark approaches, so be it.
There are of course exceptions to this rule. Some mothers do not have the freedom to keep their children attached to them throughout the fourth trimester, and of course there is grace for that in the crunchy mom world.
In case you were wondering, the fourth trimester is the baby’s first three months out of the womb. During this time, it is encouraged to keep your baby close to your body as they transition into life outside your womb.
Some of those concepts may be foreign to you and some may strike home. I would encourage you to look up the ones you have not heard of to see if they offer something you may want to try!
Being a crunchy mommy also means thinking about the chemicals found in so many baby products today. These include diapers, toys, diaper creams, shampoos, body washes, and food. See our article “Bubble Baths Could Be Harming Your Baby” to learn about the many toxins in traditional baby bath soaps.
While it’s a little more inconvenient at times to live the crunchy mom lifestyle—think trying to wash cloth diapers on your vacation—the benefits to your baby and the earth make it all worth it.
Now, if you are on the opposite end of the spectrum, where pureeing your baby’s spinach and flax mix every day makes you gag, then you would be what’s known as a “silky” mom.
Krystle K from The Snap Mom defines the “silky” mom as follows:
“Nicknamed the “modern mother” who prefers medicated hospital birth, bottle feeding/part time breastfeeding, uses rice cereals, disposable diapers, crib sleeping, is pro-circumcising, pro-vaccinating, mostly stroller using and one who closely follows the advice of established medical authority. Silky moms often tend to be moms who use sleep training methods like “CIO” (cry it out) & rely on modern products for convenience .”
This may be you. The silky mom craves convenience, fast, and the modern approach to motherhood. This approach does make things easier; especially when you have multiple children.
A silky mom may not be as concerned with chemicals, environmental impact, or the ingredients list on foods. However, the time saved when using more convenient baby products does free up more quality time you could spend with your kids.
So, that leaves us with the third and last new-age mommy term, the “scrunchy” mom. This is a combination of the lifestyles and views of both the crunchy and silky mom.
You may use organic baby bubble bath but feed your baby fruit loops. Or, keep a clean, whole food diet but use disposable diapers.
Many moms fall into this scrunchy lifestyle. Finding a balance that works for you and your family is what’s important.
Now with the information presented, you will know how to describe yourself when it comes up at the next play date; because it eventually will. And you can search more specifically for the motherhood advice you’re looking for when delving into that deep data pool we call the internet.