Does your family look 'crunchy' or are people surprised? - Page 5

[coyotemist]

Most of you sound so familiar, as though our homes were from the same community! But they are, the MDC community! hee hee.

Minivan driving
TV and computer using
Organic sometimes, natural and homemade almost all the time
Normal clothes, but as much cotton and wool and I can stuff everyone into
Thrift store shopping
Toilet paper using
Cloth hankies
Kitchen towels
Half store bags, half my own bags
knitting
as gentle as I can (sometimes the kids need me to be stern)
public schooling
half vaxed, half delayed vaxing
MD and ND seeing
nature loving
Tom's of Maine deodorant
shaving when I feel like it
own crest and Eco-Dent
cloth diapering
baby wearing
own a stroller too
extended breastfeeding the older 2, but when it didn't work with the baby, bottle feeding
hospital birthing (due to being high risk)
I think I have more in common with most of the people on this thread than NOT in common! Crunchy I don't know...I think my family is quite the oxymoron!

[blizzard_babe]

Originally Posted by AllyRae

I guess I don't know what "crunchy" looks like, because in central Ohio, crunchy doesn't look like the "hippy stereotype"...they just look like everyday people who just happen to do things a bit greener.

Same with college-town Central Wisconsin. It's a combination of the local "mainstream" norms being more casual, and the local "crunchy" norms trending more towards the... norm.

[blizzard_babe]

Originally Posted by coyotemist

Most of you sound so familiar, as though our homes were from the same community! But they are, the MDC community! hee hee.

Minivan driving
TV and computer using
Organic sometimes, natural and homemade almost all the time
Normal clothes, but as much cotton and wool and I can stuff everyone into
Thrift store shopping
Toilet paper using
Cloth hankies
Kitchen towels
Half store bags, half my own bags
knitting
as gentle as I can (sometimes the kids need me to be stern)
public schooling
half vaxed, half delayed vaxing
MD and ND seeing
nature loving
Tom's of Maine deodorant
shaving when I feel like it
own crest and Eco-Dent
cloth diapering
baby wearing
own a stroller too
extended breastfeeding the older 2, but when it didn't work with the baby, bottle feeding
hospital birthing (due to being high risk)
I think I have more in common with most of the people on this thread than NOT in common! Crunchy I don't know...I think my family is quite the oxymoron!

Our houses sound pretty interchangeable.

I love the "shaving when I feel like it." I'm not pro-shaving, I'm not anti-shaving... I just sometimes feel like shaving and sometimes don't.

[thatgirliknew]

I live with the most un-crunchy man in the world. He let's me make whatever decisions I wish with the children (I discuss them with him but he usually just agrees anyway), but he is totally "mainstream". If it were just me and the kids, there would be only organic foods and lots of local fresh foods. We would have no TV, and a whole lot less "stuff". Plus the kids would have less toys and more "natural" play stuff. Oh, and I'd have dreads. lol.
I guess some people might notice the AP books, my wrap, cloth diapers, but most would just consider us an average family.

[LemonPie]

Funny thread! I live in a fairly non-crunchy area, but once in a while I'll see someone who 'looks' crunchy and wonder if they are a fellow MDCer

I don't look very crunchy, which is probably no surprise since I'm NOT very crunchy I'm probably crunchiest in the parenting areas--I co-sleep with my babies, EBF, babywear, do my best to parent gently, and we homeschool. I'm very pro-natural birth.

On the flip side, I color my hair, wear makeup, go for mani/pedis, etc. We vax on schedule, and we have lots of toys, ranging from playsilks to battery-operated plastic gadgets, but my kids spend a lot of time outdoors. We have A LOT of technology-- flat screen TV (in our living room--gasp!), DVR, Blu-Ray, a Wii, more than one computer. I have way too many paper products in the house, including disposable diapers (gave up cloth after my emergency c-section with #3) and flushable wipes. We eat out and eat way too much junk food, but I also cook a lot from scratch and I'm currently harboring a sourdough starter My garden is dead because I have black thumb. We try to avoid licensed characters, but we have a few Spiderman, Mario and Hello Kitty things around here.

ETA: I have no idea why the guy with the hat is at the top of my post. When I go back in to edit, I can't find it. Weird.

[Mom2M]

Originally Posted by lilyka

yeah, thats usually a dead give away

Is a TV in the living room the norm where you live? I keep hearing people mention this like it is such a huge deal. Most people I know do not have a TV in the living room. It is in the family room, basement or in the individual bedrooms. I would not assume, just because someone does not have their TV prominently displayed in their living room that they did not have one. I would just assume it was in the TV room. My xh always insisted the TV be in the living room, exposed (at the very least I wanted it hid away in a cupboard when not in use). I was mortified to have something so tacky right there where people could see it. And that is back when I was all about the TV. And most people I know who have a computer just have a lap top and keep it put away. So the fact that people wouldn't see these things when they walk in my house wouldn't clue them into me being at all crunchy. They would just assume I was tidy and watched TV elsewhere. (hahahaha as if they would walk into my house and see anything put away...but one can dream about her ideals, right).

We only have 1 living room too and there is a TV but I didn't think it looked really tacky, it is fairly small and black, lol

[kasey08]

I would say we appear pretty crunchy, but I think it often gets confused for us being poor and disadvantaged. None of the usual baby gear, we cloth diaper, DD is in second-hand clothes, has messy hair, doesn't know who Dora is, etc. We love our lifestyle so much though!

[waiting2bemommy]

Originally Posted by kasey08

I would say we appear pretty crunchy, but I think it often gets confused for us being poor and disadvantaged. None of the usual baby gear, we cloth diaper, DD is in second-hand clothes, has messy hair, doesn't know who Dora is, etc. We love our lifestyle so much though!

yes, I have had people tell me, "oh you're breasfeeding/cloth diapering/letting your baby sleep in the bed with you?" and then direct me to some charity organization that provides baby supplies or free shots or parenting classes. I had even had someone say, "you're still nursing your baby? go to WIC, they'll give you formula so you can quit with the breastfeeding." they don't understand these are CONSCIOUS choices that happen to come with the added benefit of being easier and cheaper.

I keep getting this vibe, at least where I live, that the same lifestyles, made in a different economic bracket, are viewed totally differently. from "earthy" and "hippie-ish" to ignorant and neglectful. but maybe i'm just sensitive to it or something...

[Thyme Mama]

what a funny question!

sometimes i get the feeling that many people equate looking/dressing like a hippie with living a "crunchy" lifestyle.

as many pp's said..........that's not necessarily so!

where i live and in my social circle, there are many hippie-looking people who live a very "mainstream" lifestyle and there are many yuppie-ish looking people who live a very "mdc crunchy" lifestyle.

now if the question is "do you look like a goin-on-tour hippie?".......then i would vote yes

or if the question is "do you fit the hippie-look stereotype that could be the definition of crunch in the opinion of some mdc'ers?"..........then i would also vote yes

[east carolina]

I think our family looked crunchier when DS was little, because I openly breastfed him in public until he was 5, I had a natural birth in a birth center, I wore him until he was 2 and DH wore him until he was 3, he was cloth diped and we frequently traveled with cloth as well. He had mostly wooden toys and ate mostly organic and homemade baby food. We stopped vaccinating once we did our research, but we're not super outspoken about it.

As he got older, he got more plastic toys, I allowed him some processed sugary sweets every once in a while, he watches alot of shows and movies on the computer, he goes to preschool (no plans to homeschool, though both DH and I have decided that we will if school isn't working for him, so far he loves it). In terms of discipline, we're very GD about alot if stuff, but strict about other stuff and our household can be very loud sometimes with power struggles and all that. But this is something that I care very much about and I want to be the best and gentlest mom I can be.

Our home looks pretty average, I can't really think of anything "crunchy" or "non-crunchy" about it. Wooden floors, and wooden furniture, but we don't have curtains and all of our bookshelves are Ikea.

We don't dress crunchy, all of us have very modern style jeans and a t-shirt, DH and DS wear khakis, I've got some skinny pants and leggings, some more gothy-looking stuff, some high heels, I paint my finger nails and wear make-up on occasion, but I don't shave, I guess that's on the crunchy end of the spectrum.

We also listen to alot of rap, rock n' roll of the noisier persuasion, punk, post-punk, indie, we have no new wave or meditation music, no wind chimes or what have you.

Alot of the really crunchy people where I live want to live really apart from mainstream society -- they either homeschool or send their kids to Waldorf. They allow no sugar, are often vegetarian, they all homebirth, wear their babies, breastfeed for at least 2 years, don't vax, etc. I don't see society as divided like that and I don't want my friends or my kid's friends to be all the same. We mix and match depending on what works and what feels good for us.

[Kelly1101]

Originally Posted by LemonPie

Funny thread! I live in a fairly non-crunchy area, but once in a while I'll see someone who 'looks' crunchy and wonder if they are a fellow MDCer

Hahaha, me too! I saw a woman in the grocery store with a BEAUTIFUL ring sling and almost went up to her but I'm too shy

Originally Posted by waiting2bemommy

yes, I have had people tell me, "oh you're breasfeeding/cloth diapering/letting your baby sleep in the bed with you?" and then direct me to some charity organization that provides baby supplies or free shots or parenting classes. I had even had someone say, "you're still nursing your baby? go to WIC, they'll give you formula so you can quit with the breastfeeding." they don't understand these are CONSCIOUS choices that happen to come with the added benefit of being easier and cheaper.

I keep getting this vibe, at least where I live, that the same lifestyles, made in a different economic bracket, are viewed totally differently. from "earthy" and "hippie-ish" to ignorant and neglectful. but maybe i'm just sensitive to it or something...

Hahaha, well, in my case it's almost true... we don't have a lot of "baby gear", cloth diaper, breastfeed, make food from scratch, SAHM, and wear cheap clothes because we ARE kind of poor and disadvantaged

There are other reasons, of course, although not necessarily the same reasons as other people... but like with CD... the environment is kind of third behind reason 1) CHEAP and reason 2) more comfy for the baby.

I had to laugh about the WIC comment... tell them that WIC gives actual FOOD to breastfeeding mothers because they don't have to buy formula.

[crunchy_mommy]

Originally Posted by waiting2bemommy

yes, I have had people tell me, "oh you're breasfeeding/cloth diapering/letting your baby sleep in the bed with you?" and then direct me to some charity organization that provides baby supplies or free shots or parenting classes. I had even had someone say, "you're still nursing your baby? go to WIC, they'll give you formula so you can quit with the breastfeeding." they don't understand these are CONSCIOUS choices that happen to come with the added benefit of being easier and cheaper.

I keep getting this vibe, at least where I live, that the same lifestyles, made in a different economic bracket, are viewed totally differently. from "earthy" and "hippie-ish" to ignorant and neglectful. but maybe i'm just sensitive to it or something...

No, I totally get that feeling too! We were going for a walk (with DS in my homemade $5 wrap) and some lady looked at him, astounded, then asked (with a tinge of pity in her voice) "Don't you have a stroller?" -- I've gotten asked this multiple times. Even the non-baby choices we've made -- no cable, for example -- everyone is always trying to tell us how we can get cheaper cable through XYZ company or that Netflix is only $10, they can't fathom that we've CHOSEN not to have cable.

Also many of the "crunchy" moms in our area are well-off & so 'crunchy' for them is shopping at the expensive all-natural baby store & signing their kids up for certain 'crunchy' classes & private schools & feeding their kids certain organic brands... It seems like that kind of crunchy is viewed very differently than less-well-off crunchy which, yes, people seem to think is almost neglectful...

[waiting2bemommy]

Originally Posted by crunchy_mommy

No, I totally get that feeling too! We were going for a walk (with DS in my homemade $5 wrap) and some lady looked at him, astounded, then asked (with a tinge of pity in her voice) "Don't you have a stroller?" -- I've gotten asked this multiple times. Even the non-baby choices we've made -- no cable, for example -- everyone is always trying to tell us how we can get cheaper cable through XYZ company or that Netflix is only $10, they can't fathom that we've CHOSEN not to have cable.

Also many of the "crunchy" moms in our area are well-off & so 'crunchy' for them is shopping at the expensive all-natural baby store & signing their kids up for certain 'crunchy' classes & private schools & feeding their kids certain organic brands... It seems like that kind of crunchy is viewed very differently than less-well-off crunchy which, yes, people seem to think is almost neglectful...

yes, you explained it better than I could! The 'crunchy" families here it seems kind of like a status thing. the babywearing is a pricey wrap or carrier from same boutique...mine is a fairly ugly ring sling from the thrift store and 6 yards of remnant fabric from joannes for a wrap. people always think I'm using a bedsheet to "tie up the baby" which evokes a lot of sympathy. either that or they ask which foreign country i'm from.

[DaughterOfKali]

When we (me, especially) are out in public, it shows. The clothes I wear and the recycled car (heh heh) give a major clue.

I use 'gentle' or natural cleaning supplies at home so that may give a hint.

I think I look more crunchy than I am.

[lilyka]

Originally Posted by Mom2M

We only have 1 living room too and there is a TV but I didn't think it looked really tacky, it is fairly small and black, lol

I don't think TVs in general look tacky (although it is sure not pretty) but you should have seen the monster (reads status symbol) my xh plopped down in our living room. which kept the doors on the cupboard from closing. (even though our TV has always been in the living room I kept it in a cabinet with doors so I could put it away when we were not using it). I promptly sold both TV and cabinet when we got divorced.

I generally consider such displays tacky, not so much what a person is displaying.

[fyrwmn]

i don't think we come off as looking overly crunchy, but i also never thought of some of the things we do as "crunchy". we garden, compost, and can food...that's what my grandmother and mother did growing up so i guess i just figured it to be more of as mainstream thing. we raise pigs for food with friends of ours, and the guys do all the slaughtering/smoking/etc that goes with it. as for the house itself, there is a mix of plastic and wooden toys. the kids have a play kitchen and megablocks/legos, but i see both as fairly open ended. not only do we have a bunch of carriers, dh has his own meitai (that he actually uses, had to have extra long straps for him so that's why we don't share that), but the kids have carriers for their dolls too. ds is just as in love with the dolls, dress up clothes, etc as dd is. we erf and most of our friends think we're overly paranoid for doing so. buuuuut....we're both firefighter/emts, so we tend to be more cautious than alot of our friends anyways because we see too much of the 'worst case scenerio'. we do some organic, alot of home cooked from scratch, and a fair mix of "normal" food. we love the local farms for eggs and fresh veggies in the summer. both kids have their own room, and ds has a crib that he didn't even nap in till almost 10mo when he refused to co-sleep anymore. we en, but ds doesn't usually ask to nurse in public, and fully anticipate tandem nursing when due any day now babe gets here. the whole family is a jeans and t-shirt type, but alot of it comes from the second hand store or bought on clearance a season ahead and then gets passed thru the kids. we cloth diaper and are in the process of switching to cloth wipes. we have a clothes line outside (as well as a dryer) but i always thought of that as a bonus to getting fresh smelling lined dried clothes. we delay/selective vax, but alot of people don't realize that. we planned to homebirth this time, but cost won out and we're having a hospital birth again . i wish i wasn't too chicken to uc.