(This post is in partnership with Suburban Jungle.)
When you tell someone you’re from San Francisco, they immediately conjure up one or more of a variety of stereotypes about our fair city and the people who live here. Some are harmless, some are not, and some are, let’s face it, pretty true. Since we live here, we don’t always see the city the same way our visitors do and overlook a lot of the quirks that make our collective identity as San Francisco families unique.
Then we start considering a move to the suburbs. All of the sudden, we are the ones using our first impressions to decide what we think about a town. Our contributors at Mid-Peninsula Moms Blog and San Francisco Moms Blog – a mixed group of Bay Area locals and transplants – weigh in below on some of the moms they’ve met in the Bay Area ‘burbs.
The Historian | Born and raised in town, she loves to educate newbies on what life was like “in the old days.” She knows everyone and her family tree connects her to a surprisingly long list of the town’s residents.
Recovering City Mom | She’s coming to terms with the fact that she’s no longer raising her family in the city. She misses the nightlife (not that she took much advantage of it anyway) and hates to admit that free and easy parking is awesome.
Instagram Story Mom | She’s always taking photos/videos of her kids and immediately posting them to her IG story. No meal, park outing, or ballet class goes undocumented.
Pinterest Mom |All party decorations are handcrafted, all Halloween costumes are hand-sewn, and don’t even get us started on the baked goods.
Wardrobe Mom | Her consistent wardrobe choices make it easy to tell where she shops, and when you see a particular article of clothing, you immediately think of her. Some sub-categories include Lululemon Mom wearing athleisure gear daily, Designer Mom always sporting designer shoes and a purse, and Preppy Mom rocking loafers and pearls to music class, soccer practice, the grocery store, and everywhere in between.
Hot Mess Mom | Her life seems chaotic; she’s always rushing and complaining. You can’t tell whether it’s outside forces at work or whether she’s kind of just doing this to herself.
Mom Boss | She may be in sweatpants or she may be wearing a power suit. One thing’s for sure, this lady is in charge. She doesn’t have time for nonsense and is probably running a tech startup.
School Mascot Mom | This mom is all about her kids’ school. She’s in the PTA, a part of the snack shack, she’s at every game, wears the school colors, is on a first name basis with all school administrators, and everyone kind of knows her.
The Scout Mom | She’s very sweet and very passionate (too passionate?) about being a troop leader for her son or daughter. She cares about other families’ kids as much as her own and spends a lot of time trying to make sure everyone has fun. She usually drives a minivan (you know, to carry the troop).
Organic Only Mom | Her kids eat better than yours do. She makes all of her own baby food (organic of course). She breastfed her kids until they were four and basically lives at Whole Foods.
The Nanny | You see this “mom” at every school pickup/event/play date and know her better than the actual mom. Come to think of it, you’ve never met her…
The Wine-O’Clock Mom | She loves her “mommy juice,” never misses a Moms’ Night Out, and supports boozy playdates.
The Laissez Faire Mom | She’s super laid back, lets her kids eat goldfish all day, and the limit does not exist for screen time. What schedule?
Realistically, these mom types exist everywhere (even in San Francisco!), but it’s still important to do research on the overall personality of a town to up your chances of finding a community that feels right for you. This is where Suburban Jungle can help. It’s a free service that uses a “town first” approach to match your family with the town that best suits your needs. They will even connect you with a local mom who lives in town so you can hear first hand what makes the town tick. With offices in New York, Boston, LA, Chicago, DC, Dallas, and the Hamptons, Suburban Jungle can help your family relocate outside of the Bay Area, too. My husband and I tried it out a few years ago, and you can read more about our experience here.
We want to hear from you, too. Tell us in the comments what kind of moms you’ve encountered and even what kind(s) you think you are!
LOVE! I can relate to many of these!