Life
I was raised by a hippie mom, although I didn't realize it until I was in my 30s and noticed rolling my eyes at all things "hippie mom" was more than a tad hypocritical. Unbeknownst to me, I had picked up a whole lot of "hippie mom" tricks and, not even thinking about it, used them on my daughter. The more I thought about it, the more I recognized the times we can all learn from hippie moms.
My mom was the ultimate hippie mom, growing and canning vegetables, knitting, sewing curtains, and mending clothes for her own children. Her "hippie mom ways" were somewhat a necessity, but also just a natural part of her overall philosophy. Why buy anything when you can make it yourself, and with fewer chemicals and at lower cost? That same philosophy my mom parenting by back then resonates with moms today, too, particularly because we're all looking for ways to simplify our lives and get back to the basics with our kids.
What used to qualify as "hippie" parenting choices have now, honestly, become pretty mainstream and "modern." Babywearing is considered "normal" and encouraged for bonding as well as convenience, and coconut oil is practically a food group for most people. What used to be "hippie" is nothing more than mainstream mom tactics for keeping our kids engaged, healthy, and safe. So, with that in mind, here are a few ways I've found myself learning from other hippie moms:
When Their Kids Are Constantly Outside
Hippie moms are known for embracing the outdoors and shooing their children out to explore and play, and now more and more schools are being lauded when they embrace nature and get their students outside. I think those hippie moms are onto something, and (thankfully) we're all picking up on it.
When Their Kids Play In The Dirt
Turns out, all our antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer hasn't been such a great thing for our immune systems, and we're all starting to tune into the hippie mom mantra (or maybe just my cheesy mom mantra?) of "dirt can't hurt."
I tried to remind myself of that very manta when my daughter dug her fingernails into each and every pile of dirt we encountered on our walk around the block. I do draw the line when she starts to poke her fingers into bird poop, but I've generally learned to embraced the dirt.
When Their Kids Eat Kale
All of those weird health food ingredients we all used to struggle to pronounce have now become household names, even if half of us are still pronouncing quinoa wrong. Bulgur wheat and flax seed and chia are household ingredients now, thanks to hippie moms.
When They're Wearing Their Babies
I think we can all agree that the babywearing industry is, all on its own, proof we've all gone the way of the hippie mom. When us moms can wrangle a toddler while wearing a newborn, and still feel moderately in control, we should stop and silently thank all the hippie moms of days past.
When They Try Baby-Led Weaning
Baby-led weaning isn't necessarily mainstream yet, but it's certainly on the rise. The hippie mom tactic for feeding your child actually worked really well for my daughter. In fact, my partner and I found she gained fine motor skills much faster than most of her peers simply from trying to get those pieces of food from the high chair tray into her mouth.
Although, I have had to explain to more than a few people that her little gag reflex wasn't a sign that my daughter was choking, something only baby-led weaning moms can understand.
When They Use Coconut Oil
The fact that I know what oil pulling is, lets you know that the hippie cult favorite has hit it big time.
When They Avoid Censorship
Hippie moms have long been proponents of calling body parts what they are and for being open about sexuality and nudity.
Now, nearly everything I read about the subject points to the efficacy of teaching children the anatomical names for their private parts and being more open about bodies, consent, and sexuality.
When They Use Essential Oils
I had a friend whose mom was forever pushing arnica on us for whatever minor ache or pain we might have had, and I think she'd probably be this generation's essential oils pusher. Sure, I guess some "oily" people can be over the top, but they have science to back up their claims that the diffuser is the preventive medicine of the future.
When They Excel In Minimalism
Hippie moms might be a little less attached to "things" than the rest of us, which is something we can all learn from. I'm not saying I'm going to be giving up my Amazon Prime membership any time soon, but a little less "stuff" never hurt anyone, in my opinion.
