"When my social media feeds started to fill up with videos about “things Type A moms do” vs. “things Type B moms do,” I found myself wondering where I fit in. I even asked my husband if he’d consider me a Type A or a Type B personality. “Neither really,” he said. “Or maybe a little bit of both.” Just as I expected. I don’t quite fit into either personality type, at least not based on the extreme examples of both we often see on social media. But recently, I’ve been seeing a third categorization—the Type C mom.
A refresher: Type A personalities are characterized by ambition, competitiveness, drive, perfectionism, and urgency. Type B personalities, on the other hand, tend to be easygoing, relaxed, and carefree, according to VeryWell Mind.
In parenting, this can show up in how much structure you implement in your household, how you schedule your life, and how established your home systems are. Type A moms, for example, might be extremely organized and bound to their very strict routines, while Type B moms tend to be go-with-the flow and, well, maybe a little bit messy.
Of course, these things tend to exist on a spectrum rather than a binary. Sure, some of us lean all the way in one direction and have always known we’re one type or the other. But for others, thinking about their “type” doesn’t happen until they become mothers. And hi, it’s me. I’m one of the others—and I think I’m a Type C mom.
What is a Type C mom?
Based on social media content around the Type C mom, she’s organized and structured—to a degree. She’s also spontaneous, nimble, and occasionally a hot mess. She’ll randomly decide to put all the pantry items in glass jars for the ~aesthetic value~ of it all… but her kids toys? Tossed into a catch-all container without a single thought. And the Type C mom is having her moment on social media.
According to Healthline, Type C personalities are creative, conflict-resistant, and sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. They also tend to do their best work independently. Yup. That sounds like me—I don’t fit the description perfectly, but does it ever really work out that way?
The social media conversation mostly details how Type C moms can vacillate between extreme type A tendencies and Type B tendencies. That doesn’t quite tell the whole story: Type C is its own personality type. But there do seem to be elements of Type A traits (like perfectionism and conscientiousness), but also elements we commonly associate with Type B personalities (like creativity and cooperation).
When I started seeing Type C mom content, I felt seen
Sometimes, in our world of constantly categorizing mothers (see: helicopter mom, soccer mom, almond mom, gummy bear mom, hot mess mom, black SUV mom/white SUV mom… the list goes on and on), it can feel like everyone else is one extreme or the other.
But if the “Type C mom” conversation on social media is any indication, there are a lot of us who float somewhere outside of the lines. See: Videos from creators like Ashleigh Surratt, who posts hilarious (and hilariously relatable to many) reels.
In one reel, Surratt shows off her color-coded book organization system… then films herself telling her child not to eat the sandwich she found in the car because “it’s probably old.”
This type of content shows us that many of us don’t really align with the extremes we’re usually faced with when talking about Type A vs. Type B people.
How being a Type C mom shows up in my parenting
My brand of Type C doesn’t exactly look like these videos (of course, there’s some dramatic effect at work here!). I would say my personality and environment are not nearly as chaotic or unpredictable.
But I still very much relate to the idea that you can have it together, but maybe not have it all together. For example, if you come over to my house, you might assume I’m Type A. The space is tidy. There are never dishes in the sink. While you won’t find detailed, labeled organization systems in my closet, you also won’t catch a single item of clothing strewn on the floor.
But if you open my kitchen junk drawer? Well, I’d prefer you not take a look. If you get a glimpse of the backseat of my car? I’m officially embarrassed (#ParentProblems). If you see a bunch of errant papers and receipts floating around in my purse? No you didn’t.
For me, being a Type C mom means keeping life loosely scheduled
My household runs on a schedule. My kids have always had a bedtime, a nap schedule, a feeding routine, and a general structure to our days. But if we want to keep them up late on a weekend, that’s fine. I don’t stress about going off script.
And as for how we schedule our time? There’s a calendar, but there’s no color-coded system. In short? I know what we’re having for dinner every night this week and the groceries are already in the fridge, but those plans mostly live in my head. You won’t find a menu posted on my fridge… or a perfectly organized food storage system when you open up the door to my fridge either.
I value flexibility alongside structure
I see some Type A moms going through their scheduling systems, especially on social media, and honestly? I’m amazed… and exhausted just watching them detail all the coding and down-to-the-minute planning of it all. But I’m also amazed by how spontaneous, empathetic, and fun the Type B moms are.
Ultimately, I think it’s about what you value and prioritize: For Type A moms, routine trumps all; while Type B moms may rather make memories and operate off of ~vibes~.
For me? Stability and predictability are important because they allow our family and household to operate smoothly—but I’ve consciously avoided being too rigid about how we run things around here, because raising flexible kids is extremely important to me. I like that my children can easily push their lunch back by half an hour if we decide to go out instead of eating something at home. Or that they don’t melt down if they stay up an hour or two after bedtime. I also like that they can travel without being overwhelmed by new foods, sights, and routines, because we keep things relatively loose at home.
This works for our family and it might not work for all others. A mom with a Type A personality may find this approach way too stressful and that’s OK! But for me, a self-employed, work-from-home mom, being nimble is both important and possible thanks to the flexible nature of my day-to-day: I’ve never had to have my kids out the door early for daycare drop-off, for example, so we’ve been able to lean more into running on a loosely structured routine, with room for curveballs and pivots.
Type A vs. Type B vs. Type C? I don’t think one is ‘better’
We tend to glorify Type A personalities in the workplaces and schools—and in parenting as well. We praise the moms who have extremely organized diaper bags, who maintain efficient systems, and who have every corner of their homes perfectly organized. As we should!
But I also think we need to give it up for the Type B moms, who keep it fun and exciting. These moms embrace imperfection and thrive in the chaos of parenting. And the Type C moms? We deserve credit for finding that balance, for embracing creativity, and for doing it our way too.
Zara Hanawalt, Contributing Writer
Zara is a twin mom and freelance journalist with over a decade of experience covering parenting, women’s health, and culture. In addition to The Everymom, she’s written for outlets like Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Parents, Shape, Motherly, The New York Times for Kids, What to Expect, and many others. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, cooking, travel, watching TV, and trying new restaurants.