73% of Parents Say They've Embraced 'Type C' Parenting This Summer

As the last few weeks of summer fade and school comes back in session, chaos is at an all-time high. And for parents who are just trying to get through it, the solution now more than ever seems to be leaning into a little ‘Type C’ parenting.

A new survey conducted by Skylight, the family calendar and organization management system, reveals that 73% of parents embraced Type C tactics this summer. In a parenting world that seems increasingly opposing and divided, a Type C parent is the master of the in–between. Not fully leaning into Type A’s strict structure, but also not fully a Type B ‘go with the flow’ parent, a Type C parent is structured with some things and flexible with others. The epitome of organized chaos.

Further in the survey, over 1,000 parents opened up with their best Type C parent confessions, showing that organized chaos manifests in several different ways. Forty percent admitted to “creatively adapting” traditions like the tooth fairy to make life easier. “I told my kids the tooth fairy doesn’t bring money for teeth that have fillings in them,” one 39-year-old mom shared.

When it came to hot-button parenting debates like feeding and screen time, Type C parents shrugged off the judgment. Thirty percent said they live by “fed is fed,” and 25% proudly endorsed survival-mode screen time. “I’m sending my kids to Camp Screen Time," one 47-year-old dad confessed.

Ultimately, Type C parenting may be less a new trend and more a survival tactic in an era of high parenting pressure. “We heard over a thousand parents say the same thing in different ways: Parenting is really hard, and none of us has it all together,” said Michael Segal, Founder and CEO of Skylight. Still, 42% of confessions expressed some level of guilt—like one mom who admitted she feels “mom guilt” every single day, even when she’s doing her best.

To help parents of all types—A, B, C or somewhere in between—ditch the guilt and speak their truth, Skylight has launched an anonymous confession board at SkylightConfessions.com and even a hotline at 805-328-5075. Their hope? That when parents can share openly with people who get it, they’ll feel a little lighter. Because, as one mom put it, it’s more than okay to go from striving to be the “best mom ever” to proudly embracing the role of the “O.K.-ist mom ever.”