What is a Crunchy Mom – Meaning, Origin & Usage
Just when you think you finally understand what is meant by a ‘soccer mom’ and a ‘milf’, along comes another term for mums – ‘crunchy mom’. If you’re still scratching your head about what it might mean, don’t worry, you are not alone. And better yet this article is going to break it all down for you.
We’ll start by spelling out the meaning and delving into its origins, before describing the typical characteristics of a crunchy mom, and why so many women are aspiring to become one. We will also cover how being a crunchy mom compares with other modern parenting styles, and how to become a crunchy mom yourself. By the end of the article, you’re sure to feel like an expert in the subject.
And without further ado…
Understanding the term “crunchy mom” and crunchy mom characteristics
Basically, a “crunchy mom” is a term that can be used to describe a mother who favours “natural parenting”. Think someone who feeds their kids vegan and/or organic food, uses cloth nappies, and embraces holistic medicine and methods over anything remotely artificial.
They favour natural remedies over prescription drugs for example. They favour wooden toys over plastic ones. They won’t let their child eat or drink anything high in sugar. There’s minimum screen time for the child or children, if any time at all. The prefer waterbirths over hospital births, and breastfeeding over artificial formula. They may even decide to homeschool their children.
Origins of the crunchy mom concept
The term “crunchy” comes from the phrase “crunchy granola”, which is slang for hippy culture. In the past, granola was a symbol of hippy culture, and today it describes someone who loves the outdoors, saving trees, etc.
Why choose the crunchy mom lifestyle?
There’s a lot to be said for the crunchy mom lifestyle, especially in this day and age with the climate crisis closing in so heavily upon us. But be assured that the crunchy mom parenting style is not just about the environment alone. Sure there are benefits in having less plastic toys and less screen times, but the crunchy mom parenting also covers ensuring that everything their child consumes is a hundred percent natural. This ensures that the child’s diet is free of artificial flavours, colours and preservatives.
Even if you decide that you cannot go without prescription medications (which is fair), then even if you start to move slowly toward the lifestyle, or at least to the parenting style, there could be benefits for you, your child or children and even the planet. Sure there’s only so much you can achieve as one family, but even a small difference is still a difference, and a step in the right direction.
Common misconceptions about crunchy moms
Many people wrongly assume that being a crunchy mom means being more health conscious, because of the focus on organic, grass-fed food and the lack of any potentially genetically modified food or overly-processed and artificial ingredients.
However, this attitude may come at cost if you decide to deny professional healthcare for your child if they are ever in need of it. Moreover, to see your child suffering because you believe that a doctor will prescribe something lab-based rather than wholly natural could only lead to regret. An example of this might be the crunchy mom tendency to oppose vaccinations, which could lead to a child coming down with something that the child’s immune system cannot fight off.
Also, it’s never helpful to feel that you have to be a perfect parent at all times anyway. Every parent has succumbed to the temptation of a convenient and easier way of doing things when they are up against it and there is no obvious alternative. If you need to get by with a hybrid car until you can get a fully electric one for example, then so be it.
Crunchy mom Vs. other modern parenting styles
Perhaps the best way to describe a “crunchy mom” is to compare and contrast it with other parenting styles.
The opposite of a “crunchy mom” is a “silky mom”. They favour an easier lifestyle, with processed ready-meals, and consider screen time to be a handy parenting tool. No-cook sugary convenience foods are the go-to, and they often give in to their children’s whims for plastic toys.
You may be pleased to know, however, that there’s a middle ground in all this. Enter the “scrunchie parent”. The scrunchie parent is one who chooses the best of both worlds. For example, they might accept pain relief drugs for child birth, but still cook all their children’s meals from scratch without having to add any unwanted artificial ingredients.
How to embrace the crunchy mom way
The good news is that anyone can embrace the “crunchy mom” way if they so wish. You might like to start with some research into how to live and parent in the most natural, environmentally friendly way. Thankfully all this information is readily available online.
Then all you have to do is stick by your morals, and commit to a more environmentally friendly way of life. You will have a great deal of influence over your child, and bringing them up this way is sure to instill those all-important values, and a natural way of life. You could even go off grid, and become self-sufficient by growing vegetables in your garden and keeping livestock.
Final word
In short, a “crunchy mom” is simply a mom who favours natural, environmental ways of doing things over and above anything artificial. You can choose to become a crunchy mom yourself, or you may prefer a different lifestyle, whether it’s as the opposite, i.e. as a silky mom, or find a happy middle ground as a scrunchie mom.
The term “crunchy mom” is derived from the nickname for hippie culture, namely “crunchy granola”. But today, many parents are leaning toward the crunchy mom way of life.
