[mother nurture]

So...I am thoroughly enjoying all of the forums here. Was wondering, though, if there were any other young crunchy/crispy mamas here who want to start a tribe. Me and my dh are 24. Our dd is 13 months. Find it real hard where I live to find any fellow crunchy/crispy mamas around my age, though I am always eager to interact with all aged women (the older the wiser). Anyone my age looks at me when they see the cd, ebf, babywearing, organic food, etc. ap/nfl lifestyle we live.

Come on mamas...there must be some of you out there!

 

[DreamsInDigital]

I'm 23, well 24 in a couple weeks, and I was 17 when DS1 was born. Most moms my age don't bf, they all advocate circ and CIO and think co-sleeping is weird. How sad. I'm glad I know better!

 

[Past_VNE]

Are we too old? DH and I are 28 and 27, respectively. We get the same bunch of weird looks from what we do with our son, (all of the things you two have mentioned above.)

 

[shanesmama]

I'm just figuring were I fit in. Not quiet sure about that yet. but I am going to be 22 next month and my son is 7 months old. It is very mainstream in my area and very hard to find young mamas that parent the same way I do. I don't care what part of the spectum your on as long as your on the spectrum.

:

 

[mother nurture]

Let's see...I'm 24. I realize age is just a number. I know plenty of women in their 30's-40's who are so young at heart!

Past_VNE~don't think you're too young. There really isn't a limit. Just figured maybe there were other woman who find it hard to find fellow ap/nfl mamas their age

So...here's my question...What do you do in regards of building friendships. I know I don't know any mamas around my age who live similarly. Do you mamas continue building friendships with same aged woman who it is hard to relate with? Do you find it easy to befriend other woman who are older w/ similar lifestyles?

Any other issues that you guys wanna bring up...I'd love some conversation starters

 

[maxnmaizy]

I'd like to join this tribe. I am 25 with a 5 yo ds and 2 yo dd. Will post more later, but I need to go eat my granola breakfast.

 

[shanesmama]

I know alot of my friends when they do have babies will probably go mainstream, I'm not going to dump them because of that. I relize everybody is different and who am I to judge. I might wish they do things like I would like them done, but whatever. I haven't meet any other mothers around my area, I wish I could, but I wouldn't not be their friend if they were cool just because we didn't have the same paerenting style because we probably have tons of other things in common that made us click in the first place.

 

[maxnmaizy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mother nurture So...here's my question...What do you do in regards of building friendships. I know I don't know any mamas around my age who live similarly. Do you mamas continue building friendships with same aged woman who it is hard to relate with? Do you find it easy to befriend other woman who are older w/ similar lifestyles?

Almost all of my mama friends are 38. It's wierd how about 7 of my closest friends, plus my so were all born in 1967.

Me, 1980! But I have always had older friends. But I think I am unique in that I didn't really have friends even before I had kids. Just a few, but no one close. I don't know anybody from my high school now. Of course I live halfway across the country. The way I did find friends with the same values was joining a waldorf playgroup, from there things opened up. But I live in a very large city, so those in a smaller one may not have that option. I think that MDC and other forums like this are great, you will find friends here, and you may even find someone close enough to forge a IRL friendship.

One other thing--I think women, and I guess people in general--slose themselves off thinking they cannot relate to anyone or nobody understands us, and then we isolate ourselves, it is so hard to come out of our shells and make the first step in making friends, it is really putting yourself out there, it is a scary and dificult thing to do, but you will be so surprised at how many mothers, women are feeling the same things you are. So I guess, what I am saying, is that you just need to be honest and put yourself out there, and sometimes even force yourself to call that cool mom that you met on the bus and exchanged numbers with, or pm that hip mama that you like on the boards. It is so much like dating!!

:

 

[lucifer81]

hello! i'm from norway and I'm 23 years old an I have a 2,5 month old son!and i turned out pretty crispy on the granola mom test!!hihi

we are a slingcarrying,CDusing cosleeping family!

:

here is my loving family:

http://www.ap-norge.com/forum/attac...ttachmentid=289

http://www.ap-norge.com/forum/attac...ttachmentid=291

http://www.ap-norge.com/forum/attac...ttachmentid=293

http://www.ap-norge.com/forum/attac...ttachmentid=263

http://www.ap-norge.com/forum/attac...ttachmentid=264

http://www.ap-norge.com/forum/attac...ttachmentid=265

http://www.ap-norge.com/forum/attac...ttachmentid=266

http://www.ap-norge.com/forum/attac...ttachmentid=185

 

[hookahgirl]

hey im 23, married to a 21 yo with a 2 month old baby girl!! it is hard for me to find women that think the same way as i do, or just find women who are around my age that have babies!! its nice to meet you all!!
whitney

 

[azzuranotte]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hookahgirl it is hard for me to find women that think the same way as i do, or just find women who are around my age that have babies!!

:

Hi... I'm 23 and DH is 24. He is much more mainstream and I'm quite crunchy. It's an interesting combination. I have met a few ladies that I'm forging a friendship with, but I am definitely the cruchiest and the youngest which makes me feel out of place a lot of the time. I just try and remind myself that age is just a number. I would love to meet other AP moms IRL though.

 

[mother nurture]

Welcome mamas!!! So glad some of you are interested in this tribe!

azzuranote~ you and your dh sound just like us! He is hardly crunchy. And I am fairly crunchy. I would love to be crunchier, I use to be, but at times I think he'd think I was crazy :LOL

maxnmaizy~you are so right! I am so that person who DOESN'T call that cool mama I met. I think some of it is because I am always 10 years younger. I am so open to these relationships. Age to me is just a number. However, I think that I am a bit insecure about persuing these friendships. I also didn't have many friends even before i had my dd. Now, though, I am eager to build friendships and support systems, especially since my dh and I are not as similar in regards to ap/nfl living.

I have one friend who is pretty mainstream and we have such acceptance for eachother and our views on life and parenting. I am definitely eager to meet some other women who I can relate to. MDC has been great to meet women, in general. It's great to know that there are other young mamas out there, who similarly to me, aren't all caught up in this modern society and remain grounded in ap/nfl living

 

[mother nurture]

oh..and lucifer81- I couldn't open up the attachments!

 

[seren]

I'm 22 and dh is 27. We have a 3.5 yodd, 2 yods, and 3 week old dd. I am not crunchy crunchy, but I have my things. I ebf, co-sleep, used to cd, but quit when I became pregnant and dh doesn't want to again, so I haven't pushed it. There are other things, but I can't think of them all. People think I'm weird, but I just let it go. I don't care. I talk with my friends about what I am doing, but I don't push it. Just gently encourage.

 

[cappuccinosmom]

I'm 22 (dh is 32. I guess he's a geezer :LOL )

Most of my friends my age haven't even started having families Those that have, have all been sucked into "Dr knows best" thinking about pregnancy, birth, and parenting.

So, I'm the local nut, even though I'm only mildly crispy. We don't even eat organic.

: But I did non-medicated no intervention birth and thought it was fun. BF on cue. Co-sleep. Cloth diaper most of the time.

My neighbor, meanwhile, bottle props with her 6 month old, and puts Bunny milk (you know, the pink stuff!) in the bottle!

 

[hottmama]

I am 21 and my partner is 25. We are pregnant with our first, and I have a 2.5 yr. old son. I don't actually know any moms who DON'T cloth diaper, breastfeed, not circ, etc. although everyone but me decided to vax, although some delay or selectively vax. My mama friends are 25, 28, 25, 29, and 31. I was friends with most of them before any of us had babies- in fact, I was the first amongst my group of friends to get pregnant! Several of my friends are talking about getting pregnant within the next year or so and every one will BF, CD, etc. At my LLL there are 4 of us who are in college. I don't think younger moms are more mainstream, in fact it is the older moms at our LLL who seem mainstream, who drive SUVs and live in the suburbs etc. and are more politically conservative whereas all us younger folks are liberals and radicals.

 

[mother nurture]

Hottmama~ That wonderful that you have such a large group of friends who seem to have an nfl lifestyle. It sounds like a wonderful support system. I just recently started going back to LLL meetings, but w/ my schedule it's hard to make them. The ones that I have been to seem like the opposite of yours. The younger mamas seem more mainstream, but I haven't been to many, so I don't want to make that assumption. When will your little one be welcomed into the world?

Cappuccinosmom~ This may sound silly...but what is "prop bottle feeding" and "bunny milk"? I'm not familiar with these?

I know for myself...I had always been interested in earthfriendly, organic, natural living for myself. My pregnancy was unplanned, but a blessing

. I was told that I would never be able to have children, so the whole pregnancy, childbirth aspect of becoming a mother was never in my mind (I had planned on adopting). Since the pregnancy caught me and my dh by surprise, we weren't as knowledgable as I wish we would have been. I ended up having a high risk pregnancy. Was put on bedrest, taken-off, and induced!

I wish I had been more educated about this. I found myself at that time overwhelmed. I had read Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May's Guide to Natural Childbirth, and Birthing From Within, but it seemed like I lost a sense of my beliefs and what not b/c of this overwhelming feeling. Maybe this is why some younger mamas go more mainstreamed. Just an idea, I could be way off.

I know that I am so happy that I didn't allow myself to fall into the mainstreamed parenting/family lifestyle after the type of birth I had. After having a child, you realize that there is this amazing life

, spirit that you want to nurture, and you just wanna do it the best you can. Even if that means going against the mainstream idea!

 

[homemademomma]

hi, im 22 with a 16 month old ds and a 25 yo dp. luckily i know a few other crunchy families. one of our friends just had an unassisted homebirth 3 months ago! they are vegan, organic, DIY, unchoolers (they have a 6 yo dd also),etc, my closest friend just had an attempted homebirth a few months ago but had to transfer. she is in midwifery school with me, and she bf and cd and sometimes slings, but she isnt at all crunchy in the rest of her life. i love her though!

 

[MomBirthmomStepmom]

I'm 23, my SO is 30. I have a 4yo and he has a 9yo, we all live together, and will someday marry...someday...lol (not really in a hurry)

I have a few 'friends' who are my age and moms (more like acquaintances), but most are very mainstream, and it's hard to get real conmfortable on a whole when we just don't agree on alot of things.

I'm also only mildly 'crunchy', but lean much more to the crunkchy side than to the mainstream side. My SO is more mainstream, but very open and willing to learn

 

[phathui5]

I'm 21 with a 25 year old dh. I have ds, who's 4 1/2 yrs, and dd, who's 21 months. Baby #3 is due this September. I do have other AP mama friends around here, but I'm definately the youngest.