If you’ve ever found your kid’s favorite shirt in the dryer, rinsed a single fork for dinner or scheduled nap time like your life depended on it while forgetting where your debit card is, you might just be a Type C parent.
The term, popularized by creator Ashleigh Surratt, is resonating with millions of parents online.
Her viral video capturing the chaotic-yet-capable nature of this parenting personality has racked up over 4.5 million views, with other creators jumping in to share their own “Type C” moments.
One mom confessed she was already planning her 3-month-old’s first birthday party, while another showed off her well-stocked first aid kit, right before admitting she was too tired to make the bed.
It’s content that feels real for modern parents trying to balance it all, without pretending to have it all together.
Most of us are familiar with the classic Type A and Type B personality types. Type A is highly organized, structured and punctual. Type B tends to be more relaxed, spontaneous and flexible. Type C parents? They’re a mash-up of both, often juggling the intensity of Type A energy with the messy realities of everyday life.
“Being a Type C mom is the worst because in your soul you’re Type A but life never lets you get there,” one commenter joked.
Marriage and family therapist Cheryl Groskopf told ABC’s Good Morning America this parenting style is intentional, not accidental.
“You’re choosing to loosen up in certain areas — maybe the house isn’t spotless, maybe dinner’s frozen — because you’ve realized that connection matters more than control,” Groskopf said. “You still care. You’re still showing up, just in a way that actually works for your real life.”