I’m A Type C Mom & Proud Of It

My home has the most organized pantry out there. My spices are in glass jars and are color-coded because it makes me incredibly happy. All labels are facing forward and the dog bones and dog food are in matching canisters. My kids know this is how I like things and they’ve helped me maintain this level of organization since they were little.

They know their mom likes things a certain way and that I also have a bit of OCD. They also know I’ll take them to McDonald’s pretty much whenever they want to go.

My friends and family know that I’m never late unless it’s a circumstance beyond my control (like the long line at McDonald’s), and that I never overschedule myself.

But I’ve never been strict about bedtime. When my kids were younger, if they were into a movie, they got to stay up. If they had a friend spend the night and they wanted to build forts all night — as long as I was able to sleep — I was fine with it. They’ve never had a strict curfew, but I do track them and as long as they tell me when they will be home and are honest about where they are, we’re good. I’m a type C mom through and through.

I also love to make nice dinners. I get out the fancy dishes and cloth napkins, then we eat in front of bad reality TV.

My closet and drawers are tidy yet I’ll leave unfolded laundry in the dryer for over a week because I’d rather give myself paper cuts than fold laundry.

Pushing my kids to do extra curricular activities was never my jam. If they didn’t want to play sports, an instrument, or join the club, that was the end of the discussion. As far as college goes, all three of my kids opted out and are living their best lives. I didn’t even try to persuade them to go because they presented their case and were very convincing.

As much as I love to have things a certain way, connecting with my kids and letting them express themselves has always been way more important to me. Which is why when they were little they were often seen in public with mismatched socks and stains on their clothes because I’d rather talk with them about their latest project or what they wanted for dinner then argue with them about what they wanted to wear. I mean, I was decked out and had my hair and nails done, but I didn’t expect my kids to follow any kind of dress code.

Over the years, I’ve had people tell me they are surprised I’m so lax in some areas of parenting because my car is pristine or the fact I can’t have anything on my counters makes me seem anal and controlling. And maybe I am in some areas.

But I also didn’t want that to overflow onto my kids. I’m the one who wants things to look a certain way. While I believe in teaching them to be aware of others and hold doors open, be kind and punctual, and do what you say you’re going to do, I don’t believe in over scheduling them or curating them. I want to give them enough space to discover who they are.

I do that by letting a lot of things go. I don’t keep score over how many cookies they have for dessert or insist their bedroom looks magazine-ready. If a messy room meant they were spending the afternoon reading, building something, or just being kids, I could live with it.

I’d rather spend my energy talking, laughing, and connecting with them than policing every little thing.

Now that they are older, I don’t regret prioritizing certain things over the “rules.” As long as my nails are done and the pantry is tidy, I can handle their rooms being a disaster. In the end, being a type-c parent has literally saved my sanity.

Katie lives in Maine with her three kids, two ducks, and a goldendoodle. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, at the gym, redecorating her home, or spending too much money online.