Type C Parenting: Embracing Imperfection in 2025
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Parenting in 2025 is evolving—and so are the labels we use to describe it. While the terms “Type A” (overachieving, perfectionist) and “Type B” (laid-back, go-with-the-flow) have been around for decades, a new parenting personality is rising fast:
Coined by TikTok creator Ashleigh Surratt, Type C parenting went viral in early 2025 and is quickly becoming one of the most searched parenting trends of the year. But what does it actually mean—and why are so many parents embracing it?
🧠 What Is Type C Parenting?
Type C parenting blends the organized, structured traits of Type A with the ease and acceptance of Type B. It's a parenting style that says: "I value structure, but I also embrace chaos."
Think: a parent with a color-coded pantry who’s also okay with cereal for dinner and screen time on rainy days. Or someone who uses a bedtime routine app... but sometimes lets the kids stay up late because the mood calls for it.
Type C parenting is not about perfection. It’s about flexibility, emotional presence, and real-life adaptability.
🔍 Why Type C Parenting Is Trending in 2025
Current top parenting search trends include:
- "How to balance structure and flexibility"
- "Gentle parenting without guilt"
- "Realistic parenting routines 2025"
- "Parenting styles that support emotional intelligence"
- "How to embrace imperfect parenting"
These reflect a shift: Parents are tired of unrealistic standards and are gravitating toward authenticity, self-compassion, and emotional resilience. Type C parenting reflects that perfectly.
💛 Core Principles of Type C Parenting
1. Structure Meets Flexibility
Type C parents value rhythm and order—but they also leave space for creativity, spontaneity, and emotional needs.
- Yes, there’s a bedtime routine... but storytime might stretch longer if the day felt hard.
- There’s a chore chart, but it’s okay to skip a day when everyone’s emotionally depleted.
2. Emotional Availability Comes First
Type C parents emphasize emotional intelligence, co-regulation, and compassionate communication. They don’t strive to control behavior—they strive to understand it.
📘 Related resource: Kindness Begins at Home – A Guide to Raising Well-Mannered Kids
3. Real-Life Resilience Over Instagram Perfection
Instead of chasing Pinterest-perfect homes or Montessori Instagram setups, Type C parents focus on what works in real life—even if that includes mismatched socks and skipped meals.
4. Self-Compassion for the Parent
Type C parenting recognizes that a parent’s nervous system and well-being matter too. There’s grace for the parent who loses their patience—or lets the kids watch cartoons because they need a moment.
🧺 Explore our Peaceful Parent’s Guide for tools to reset your rhythm and restore calm.
🌿 Type C Parenting & Holistic Approaches
This parenting style harmonizes beautifully with Montessori and Waldorf-inspired principles:
- It values natural rhythm, hands-on connection, and child-led curiosity
- It allows for rest, silence, and outdoor time
- It emphasizes connection over control
🧸 Explore our Montessori Climbing Sets and Waldorf parenting guides to support rhythm-based home environments
✨ Type C Parenting in Practice
Here’s what a Type C day might look like:
- Breakfast together, but it’s toast and fruit—no pressure to cook
- School time or free play with rhythm but not rigidity
- Emotionally responsive parenting during tantrums—not timeouts
- Screen time used with intention, not shame
- Outdoor play to ground overstimulated minds
- A bedtime routine with room for giggles and connection, not just rules
Final Thoughts
Type C parenting is a breath of fresh air for 2025. It offers structure without rigidity, emotional presence without self-sacrifice, and routines without perfectionism. It’s a style for the parent who cares deeply—but is done pretending they’ve got it all together.
It’s real. It’s flexible. And it’s exactly what modern families need.
➡️ Explore our Parenting Resource Collection to support your unique journey—messy, mindful, and meaningful.