Over the years, I have heard the question: Are you a Type A or Type B mom? I could never quite decide which category I fall into. In some ways, I am Type A. I like a schedule and can be organized (in very specific areas), but on the other hand, I tend to lean more towards Type B parenting, where I’m a bit cluttery and I prefer to make memories over routine. Well, my answer was correct: I am neither Type A nor Type B because I am Type C, where I’m a little bit of a hot mess but can be structured when I need to be.

This realization came to me when I saw an Instagram Reel from one of my favorite content creators, Yuri Lamasbella. She role-played all three versions of Type A, B, and C moms, and I immediately knew that I was a certifiable C parent, a good blend of both. I felt seen! In the Reel, playing the Type C mom, she shows up on the first day of school, telling the teacher the supplies are ordered, but haven’t come in yet, and that she’s got to make the pick-up fast because she’s parked in the loading zone. But the part I related to the most was when she said, “And, I’m not late because it’s 3:01.” This was me - I would have ordered the supplies a day too late, parked haphazardly, and was always on the verge of being late. However, I was often my kids’ Room Mom, and if I oversaw a class party, I would organize it nicely to make it as much fun as possible.

Julie Willis describes a “Type C” parenting moment in her Humor at Home article this month, “CALM is a State of Mind: Just Be There - with Snacks.” She writes about how a scheduled trip to the zoo with her animal-obsessed two-year-old didn’t go as planned, so she had to change up her plans. And even though they didn’t get to see the Big Horn Sheep they came to visit that day, they left with a plushie of one from the gift shop. To see the big “aha” moment she had about life with a toddler, turn to page 23.

This month’s Hello, Happy Mama highlights a community leader of literacy. In the article, “Hello, Happy (Story-Seeker) Mama: Samantha Saldaña-Avendaño” on page 12, Callie Collins correlates her passion for books with the September designation of National Literacy Month. She staffs the Shafter Library and Learning Center along with its mobile library, the Scoutmobile.

Special thanks to Zane Smith and MacKenzie Boone of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Kern County (BGCKC) for their help with the article, “Artfest 2025: Inspired by Matisse, Created by Kern’s Youth,” on page 18. Please mark your calendars for their annual fundraising event, Artfest, on Friday, October 10. This year features the bold and expressive colors of French visual artist Matisse with unexpected and beautiful creations from the Club Members in the Young Artists’ Masterpiece Gallery.

As the weather chills and September makes way for the coziness of Autumn, remember you can’t go wrong as a Type A, B, or C parent if you love and care for your children. And as Julie Willis reminds us in her Humor at Home article, always have snacks at the ready!

Happy Autumn!!!

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Special Update:

Rocket Fizz Update: In last month’s Dear Reader, I paid homage to my favorite candy store in Bakersfield that I thought was closing forever. Good news for everyone: Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shops is reopening. The new store will be at Town & Country between Trader Joe’s and Sweet Fix Creamery on Stockdale Highway and Coffee Road. I can’t wait to check it out and find a fun and crazy treat!