Crunchy Mom vs. Starvation
Being a Mom who has a multitude of health problems in the past I recognize the importance of health and diet. There have been a lot of times where I slaved to cook nutrient packed meals for my 5 year old son only to have him push it away and not eat anything at all. As I connected with other Moms, I realized there were many who were a part of this new movement called "Crunchy Moms".
Urban Dictionary definition:
Crunchy Mom: A member of an increasingly growing group of moms who are neo-hippies.
They generally believe (for varying reasons) that there is something bad or less beneficial about buying mainstream products or doing other common activities in the mainstream way.
Now while I do admit my parenting is not exactly conventional, I wouldn't refer to myself as a Crunchy Mom and this is why: When it comes down to it, there are times when you have to feed your kids no matter what. You have to make sure they have clothing, warmth, and provide care for them when they are sick. I know I'm not talking just about myself when I say that sometimes when you have $5 to your name and you have to make it stretch for 2 days you aren't going to just make your kid go without just because you had to buy spaghetti O's instead of cooking your own tomato sauce, and purchasing organic spaghetti. But I have been snubbed when it comes to these situations. It's the same mentality in other areas. If my son is sick with a cold and the normal home remedies aren't doing the trick, you better believe I'm going to the store for some brand of cough medicine. Do I like it? No. But being a Crunchy Mom can be very expensive. Ironically, even though you are supposed to be making everything yourself as this type of Mother the cost of all the supplies is sometimes staggering. Some argue that it's a matter of quality vs. quantity. Sure, I agree, but a lot of Mothers out there are struggling to make the dollar stretch as far as it can go. Would you rather eat for 2 weeks, or eat a very healthy meal for 2 nights?
There's also the problems with buying "mainstream" items. For this I'll refer to the Mom's who won't dare shop in the biggest retail chain for any clothing. I try hard not to do this as well for reasons that I tend not want to support major cooperation that support unfair labor whether it's by their employees or by the factories full of people who make next to nothing to sew t-shirts. So I get most of our clothing from local thrift shops, sometimes splurging at a local organic/free trade/natural fibers only store. I do this because not only are you recycling when purchasing an item that might otherwise end up in a landfill, but it's cost effective too. Nevertheless, there are times when you can't just get something at the thrift store. Socks, undergarments...yeah you're going to have to break down and buy them somewhere. Where am I going to go? Your local chain of course. Are people really bad for doing that? Am I a lesser Mom because I had to buy socks at Wal Mart for my son?
The truth is, most of want only the best for our children. As parents I don't feel we should be against each other to meet their needs. If you really feel that a parent that you're friends with isn't caring for their child the way you do would, snobbery isn't going to make them change. Offer good suggestions like showing them how to make your healthy and inexpensive pizza crust recipe, or exchange clothing with each other instead of consistently buying more at the mall. Working together to ensure a better future for our children should be a mutual collation for us all. Uniting us through this joint effort could only ensure the positive outcome of this goal. I hope I've inspired you to consider the wisdom that can be passed to generations long after you've passed. Humility is crucial for humanity.
