What Type of Mom Will You Be? Take the Quiz

Tiger, crunchy or chilled? You’ve no doubt heard of the different mothering styles and might be wondering what type of mom you are. Here’s a fun quiz to help you see if you’re more helicopter or if you are balanced.

Tick which answers you think most apply to you

What kind of TV shows would you let your child watch? 

1. No TV – just books and puzzles.
2. Whatever they like.
3. Anything educational or motivational.
4. I’m not fussed, as long as I can watch with them and monitor what’s in the movie to check that the content is okay.
5. Preferably age-appropriate shows that don’t have too much violence or “negative messages”. 

If your child forgets to do her homework, you think: 

1. “That’s okay. I’m sure she was doing meditation instead.” 
2. “It’s fine – he doesn’t like Maths anyway and we had fun jumping on the trampoline the whole afternoon before watching Disney Pixar movies together.” 
3. “Shocking – I’ll make a note of this for the demerit system. We’ll just have to catch up with an hour of algebra tonight.” 
4. “I’m surprised to hear that. I usually monitor homework each day and sign the register.” 
5. “I’ll find out why he didn’t do his homework and we’ll take it from there.” 

It’s dinner time and you’ve made roast chicken, potatoes and veg. Your picky child only wants fried chips. What do you do? 

1. Make chips, but only with organic potatoes, adding some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden.
2. Make the chips because you like eating them too.  
3. Discuss the benefits of chicken as an important protein and vegetables as powerful antioxidants, and insist your child eat them for the sake of their well-being and growth. 
4. Tell your fussy eater that they’re not leaving the table until they’ve finished everything on their plate. It’s imperative they eat a balanced meal for optimal performance.
5. Try to compromise – if they eat some chicken and some vegetables, you’ll balance the meal with some chips. 

 CHECK OUT: Is your child a fussy eater? Our expert comes to your rescue

Your child wants a tattoo. You think: 

1. “I’m not opposed, as long as it’s a Chinese symbol or infinity sign.
2.  “That could be fun. Perhaps we can get matching or similar tattoos.” 
3. “Unless it’s an algorithm or mantra to motivate them, definitely not!” 
4. “Under no circumstances. It could hurt, plus my child could pick up an infection.” 
5. “I’m not happy about it, but I’m not unhappy about it. Let’s discuss the implications and reasons, and I’ll then have my say.” 

Your child needs help with homework. Do you: 

1. Help them but only if it’s done on recycled paper 
2. Help them, but only once you’ve had quality time together – eating ice cream, swimming and building Lego® 
3. Help them, but only during the gap between their two daily extramural activities in the afternoons, or only after piano lessons.
4. Help them, monitoring every pen stroke and ensuring it’s done according to spec. 
5. Help them until they’re confident or have mastered what they need to, and then leave them to do the rest. 

ALSO READ: Homework Made Easy: Tips to Motivate Your Child

Your six-month-old baby’s dummy drops on the floor. Do you: 

1. Lick it clean because, after all, that’s the most natural way to clean things? 
2. Buy another one, possibly even a cool Swarovski-crystal one.
3. Dummy? What dummy? Dummies supposedly inhibit speech and development. 
4. Sterilise immediately and ensure nothing enters their mouth that hasn’t been sterilised. 
5. Give it back to him – you’ve done your research and have learnt that it’s not necessary to clean or sterilise. 

What type of activities would you want your child to do? 

1. Yoga, recycling, social activism, volunteering.
2. Anything! So long as you can do it together and have fun. 
3. Anything related to music, academics and professionalism.  
4. Whatever is “in” or recommended at the time, whether it’s art stimulation, hip hop classes or golf. As long as it’s beneficial and not harmful. 
5. Whatever they would like to do, as long as it’s enjoyable and you’ve both agreed on it.

Your child doesn’t make the school play. Do you: 

1. Rejoice – plays are more about extrinsic values than intrinsic ones. For you, your child’s greatest role is being himself. 
2. Take your child out for ice cream and buy him any toy of his choice to make him feel better. 
3. Reprimand your child for not focusing on drama enough and for “failing”, and then hire a private drama tutor for him. After all, excellence is supreme.
4. Find out why they didn’t make the school play and head straight to the drama department to demand a second audition for your child.
5. Encourage your child to feel whatever they need to feel about not getting in, while motivating them to try another time, or to do other activities.

You’re at the park and another child tries to take your toddler’s turn on the swing. Do you: 

1. Explain to the child about peace, sharing and negotiation.
2. Plan to buy your own swing for home so that this type of thing doesn’t happen and, better yet, buy an adult and a kiddie swing so you can have fun together. 
3. Parks are about recreation and fun and there’s very little time for that in the tight, academically focused schedule. Maybe on weekends only.
4. Intervene and firmly tell the child that you’ve just cleaned the swing with disinfectant wipes; therefore, he has no choice but to let your child go – fairly – before him.
5. Try to explain to the child about sharing and encourage them to each take turns. 

If you answered mostly A’s: 

You’re a granola or crunchy mom. You’re Mother Earth and prefer the au natural route, whether it’s home births, breastfeeding for a few years, homeschooling, or cloth nappies. You don’t judge non-granola moms, but you’re ready to shout the praises of midwives, co-sleeping, homoeopathy and essential oils.

If you answered mostly B’s: 

You’re the BFF mom. You sometimes think you’re a kid too and just want to be liked by your kid and be considered their friend. Your niceness could sometimes lead your kids to think you’re a pushover, and during manicures or expensive toy-shop visits, they could be playing you. 

If you answered mostly C’s: 

You’re a tiger mom. You focus solely on your children’s academic perfection, and want your child to be the best of the best in academics and music. You’re already planning your outfit for your child’s cum laude graduation from an Ivy League university.  

If you answered mostly D’s: 

You’re a helicopter mom, so called because you hover over your children and become very involved in their lives. You finish their sentences, puzzles and homework, and worry when they’re out of ear or eyeshot for longer than five seconds. If asked, you would even pick out all the brown Smarties from the box for them. 

If you answered mostly E’s: 

You’re a balanced mom. You know when to jump in when your child needs help, and when to back off so that they can learn and grow themselves. You worry “enough” and don’t lose sleep if your child doesn’t finish his supper, or spends 15 minutes more watching Peppa Pig on the iPad.