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Parenting styles can be quite diverse and it’s hard to figure out which one can be considered ideal for your child. If you’ve browsed through various mommy blogs in recent times, you’ve probably heard the terms ‘silky’, ‘crunchy’, and ‘scrunchy’. They’re part of parenting jargon that can be encountered frequently by modern moms. What do these mean and which type seems like the best fit for you?
The silky parenting style is essentially the modern-day mom that makes proper use of modern advancements to properly raise her children. There’s a strong preference for a science-based approach involving hospital births, vaccinations, and doctor treatments. The opposite stereotype is the crunchy mom who takes a completely different parenting approach. She values eco-friendliness and holistic treatments. This type of mom is anti-vaccination and prefers natural home births. Scrunchy moms are more flexible and incorporate both silky and crunchy parenting methods in their style.
Here are the defining aspects worth knowing about these parenting types.
1. Diapers
When it comes to the use of diapers, silky moms favor disposable ones. While that may be less than ideal in terms of environmental friendliness, this is seen as a good compromise because washing cloth diapers all the time is too much of a hassle. Crunchy mothers don’t mind the use of cloth diapers and will actually prefer them over disposable alternatives.
2. Sleep
The sleeping location is another point of debate between silky and crunchy moms. As opposed to the crunchy approach that encourages co-sleeping, silky mothers consider that it’s very important to get a good sleep on their own. Babies need to sleep in their own cribs while the mother gets to enjoy a break from parenting. Raising a small child isn’t an easy job so it’s essential to minimize exhaustion.
3. Medical Treatment
Silky moms recognize their limitations when it comes to figuring out what’s wrong with their baby’s health. That’s why they will be quick to seek professional medical help and put their trust in science-based treatments. This is one critical aspect that separates silky mothers from crunchy ones. The latter moms believe in pseudoscience and often attempt to treat illnesses with essential oils or other alternative medicine products. They reject vaccinations or other standardized procedures as part of their belief that going all-natural is best for the health of their baby.
4. Baby Food
Most silky moms find it way too time-consuming to make homemade baby food. They don’t see anything wrong with purchasing pre-packaged food to feed their child. Silky mothers are less restrictive and will often give their baby a variety of foods, many of them in ready-to-eat form for added convenience. Crunchy moms, on the other hand, focus almost exclusively on DIY baby food. They believe that it’s a healthier approach even if they need to dedicate a lot of time to making everything from scratch.
5. Breastfeeding
Many silky mothers experience problems breastfeeding and welcome the idea of compensating with formula. Adopters of the crunchy parenting style consider that breastfeeding is absolutely mandatory for the proper growth of their children. Even if they run into some difficulties such as rejecting the nipple or having a low supply, crunchy moms will power through all the challenges to breastfeed.
6. Baby Gear
Silky mothers embrace the use of all kinds of baby gear that allow the kid to spend some time by themselves from time to time. They consider it necessary to get some breathing room from their job as moms because it’s simply too exhausting to spend time with their baby 24/7 style. Children of silky moms have fun playing with swings, walkers, and other fun baby gear. By contrast, crunchy moms don’t really approve of baby gear. They often refuse to use strollers because of the belief of creating a disconnect with the baby.
7. Schedule
A reasonably organized schedule is pretty important for silky moms. They’re not necessarily very rigid when it comes to bedtime or mealtime but having a sense of order is considered beneficial for having a proper routine. Crunchy moms take a different approach to scheduling. They prefer letting the baby develop naturally and experience their day however he or she sees fit. However, this might get out of hand when the baby has too much control so the lack of a fixed schedule is considered quite difficult even for the most determined crunchy moms.
8. Technology
Due to many studies showing the negative effects of technology on the development of children, crunchy moms typically prefer a no-technology approach. That means strict limiting of screen time for children. They might not even have a TV at home and consider it a grave offense for their baby to be entertained by an iPad. Silky moms are more permissive in this regard. They allow their children to use various electronic devices without extreme restrictions. However, they believe that moderation is key. Silky moms won’t allow kids to spend countless hours in front of the TV.
