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AIBU?

To find the term "crunchy" irrationally irritating?

39 replies

FirstOfHerName · 09/04/2017 13:11

I've seen a few posters on MN and people IRL describing themselves as "crunchy" recently, eg "I'm crunchy and baby led so..." (actually said by an acquaintance). When did it become a thing, and AIBU to find the term (and people who use it about themselves) slightly annoying?

OP posts:

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Beardsareweird · 09/04/2017 13:13

What does 'crunchy' mean? I hate 'cheeky' as in 'a cheeky beer' or 'a cheeky pizza'.

RJnomore1 · 09/04/2017 13:13

I've never really understood it partly because it makes me think of crusties and I presume they're just not huge on personal hygiene.

It's not that though is it.

PNGirl · 09/04/2017 13:14

I thought it came from "crunchy granola" - I quite like it! I live in a crunchy part of the SW and it's often used self-depracatingly.

TheWitTank · 09/04/2017 13:15

I don't actually get what it means -is it like flakey? Or hippy?

Gallavich · 09/04/2017 13:15

It's grim isn't it?

reallybadidea · 09/04/2017 13:16

I seem to remember it being quite widely used when my children were small, about 15 years ago. So it just sounds a bit retro to me rather than irritating.

VladmirsPoutine · 09/04/2017 13:17

I cringe so much when I hear it I almost turn inside out.

That said, I've only ever seen it used ironically on MN. But I recall there was a thread once by a 'crunchy' mother who went on to explain that she wore jeans to church and described herself as 'crunchy but wild'. It was just embarrassing really. But each to their own!

FirstOfHerName · 09/04/2017 13:19

I think it's meant to describe a certain kind of baby wearing, organic eating, yogurt knitting, hippy earth mother type isn't it?

OP posts:

witsender · 09/04/2017 13:21

It is, but normally in quite a derogatory fashion so I've never heard anyone use it to describe themselves.

LockedOutOfMN · 09/04/2017 13:21

It reminds me of Cadbury's Crunchies or Crunchy Nut Cornflakes and makes me feel hungry for sugar.

FirstOfHerName · 09/04/2017 13:23

I hadn't either witsender until hearing the "crunchy and baby led* comment, said with no irony at all.

OP posts:

redexpat · 09/04/2017 13:24

Ive only ever seen it on mn in the aforementioned I wear jeans to church thread. YANBU.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 09/04/2017 13:24

Oh Vlad I remember that one - OP was crunchy and ker-ay-zee! My toes were curling so much I could scratch my heels with them.

It's basically lentil-weavery with a side-order of sticking it to the man, isn't it?

RJnomore1 · 09/04/2017 13:24

Ah so it's quite similar to a crusty after all then. Except with babies.

ZaraW · 09/04/2017 13:25

Never heard of it but the word tummy really irritates me when said by an adult.

Greystars · 09/04/2017 13:25

I read an entire thing on "crunchy, silky and then scrunchy" parenting and at the extreme, the crunchy movement part it seems like very little parenting actually happens IMO.

It includes from what I can gather, not vacanating your children and letting them dictate everything, so they are just being "free-spirited" as they decide to run around a coffee shop and nearly burn themselves on someone's coffee.

Some of the bloggs by these parents make interesting terrifying reading

TiredCluelessMummy · 09/04/2017 13:26

I'm not really sure why it's called "crunchy". I can see why the word itself might grate, although it doesn't grate on me. But I do think it's helpful (and just normal really) to have a word to describe a certain way of parenting. I guess I am probably about 70% of the way to being what people would describe as a "crunchy mum" and I bet you can take a good stab at the kinds of things I do with my kids without me having to spend 5 minutes explaining.

Eminybob · 09/04/2017 13:29

I always think of it being a bit scuzzy, in a dreadlock wearing hippy kind of way. Like their clothes are so unwashed that they have become crunchy. I know that's not the meaning, but that's what I always think when I hear the term.

witsender · 09/04/2017 13:29

Crunchy is from the old idea of dirty hippies isn't it?

I know lots of people like that (we home ed 😂) and am definitely on the crunchy spectrum somewhere I guess. But I tend to raise an eyebrow at anyone who declares themselves as anything tbh. 'Bubbly', 'crazy', 'unconventional', 'free-thinker', 'yummy mummy' etc etc.

TiredCluelessMummy · 09/04/2017 13:29

Grey X post - that's basically where my 30% comes in. Absolutely we vaccinated. And we are hot on manners and behaviour. We just prefer to do blw and co sleeping etc. We're not much for strict routines because it doesn't suit us. Maybe I'm "scrunchy" instead.... I'll have to Google. Never heard of that.

BillSykesDog · 09/04/2017 13:30

vladimir, I think of exactly the same thread. Where she thought her children had a right to behave exactly how they wanted in Church including throwing toys, shouting, reading out loud and climbing around the pulpit during services and anybody who didn't like, thought she should at least attempt to calm them or distract them or take them out when distressed was an evil unchristian bastard who was trying to exclude her children.

TizzyDongue · 09/04/2017 13:33

I think it means they don't 'beautify' themselves - meaning no or little make up; would style their hair much beyond brushing, so wouldn't use hair straighteners or curlers; wouldn't go to get eyebrow wax or a Shellac; probably no stilettos nor are they followers of current fashion trends. When it comes to parenting they tend to be 'I Am Mother, Hear Me Roar' and 'Hands On Dad'.

Don't quite know why that makes them crunchy though. Fondness for granola maybe?

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Greystars · 09/04/2017 13:37

tired I wouldn't want to offend anyone, hope I didn't as it was a x-post, it was very much what I read was blogs on this movement and it was to the absolute extreme.

I think if you look down a list of things then most would do some of the things on a list of "crunchy parenting" but that's just normal parenting choices in my view. As with everything some people will take it to the extreme and what I read really was to the extreme and a recipe for disaster IMO.

gruffalo13 · 09/04/2017 13:38

It's a reference to Crunchy granola. Which of course all hippies eat.
I would be thought to be crunchy 'ish'. I co-slept, breastfed until very late, natural drug free births, attachment parented.
But I did vaccinate, and never used amber beads.

TizzyDongue · 09/04/2017 13:39

Eminybob, I think that's what one should label 'crusties'.

It's a fine line I feel, possibly controlled by postcode, household income, and choice in footwear.

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