Why ‘Momstrology’ (And Other New Age Parenting Philosophies) Need To Stop

36-year-old Los Angeles resident and ex-soap opera actress Zoë Taylor-Crane sells aromatherapy mists out of her Etsy Shop, Paper Crane Apothecary.

Two of Paper Crane’s most outrageous products are “Psychic Vampire Repellent Protection Mist” and “Chill Child Calming Mist.” Each spray sells for $27.00 on Etsy, and each is also stocked at Gwyenth Paltrow’s L.A. store, Goop Lab. Every Paper Crane spray comes with a handful of “intuitively selected gemstones” which have been “sonically tuned in a crystal singing bowl and blessed with Reiki.”

In the product description, Paper Crane instructs users of “Chill Child Calming Mist” to “Spray around your child's aura and environment to help reign in your little ball of energy.”

According to the New York Post writeup, when Taylor-Crane is done misting her child’s aura, she then applies her “mystical knowledge.” That means that any time her “fiery Aries” son asks for candy, she gives it to him. In earlier years, this would have been called “spoiling” a kid, but according to Taylor-Crane, her purpose is to “honor” his “determined and authoritative personality.”

It may seem self-evident to some, but if you’re not teaching your children how to cope with disappointment in small ways, one day, reality will hit. They will be fired from a job, cut from a sports team, or experience a break-up with a significant other. If they haven’t heard the word “no” before, they won’t know how to handle it.

And this time, an unlimited supply of candy won’t solve the problem.

Why Is “Momstrology” Even a Thing? 

According to Pew Research, 26% of Americans today describe their religious beliefs as atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular.” As religious belief tanks, many Americans are looking to alternative forms of spirituality for reassurance.

In a Twitter post on September 18, David Piccirilli quipped: 

The tweet highlights how many Millennials have rejected God, but at the same time, they look fervently to the stars and stones for answers to life’s deepest questions. Astrology, crystals, psychics, and personality assessments are all growing in popularity among Millennials.

And these are all elements that stem from the New Age movement.

Without religion, what options does a parent have to teach a child how to conduct themselves? Some put their faith in science. Others, like the New Age crew, invent their own loose spiritual frameworks (such as “Momstrology”) with their own norms and tenets.

What “New Age” Parenting Is, and How It Hurts Families

New Age philosophy provides no distinction between right and wrong.

In the New Age movement, there’s no objective definition of good or evil. “Right” and “wrong” are relative to how one feels.  And positive feelings are one of the highest aims. Parents who follow this ideology rarely give their children chores or set household rules because these would interfere with the child’s pursuit of happiness.  If you encounter a challenge, New Age tells you to simply focus on thoughts of love, harmony, and acceptance.

If a child is acting up by playing their drums loudly late at night, many parents would give the child a concrete rule such as, “No drums after dinner.” Instead, the New Age ideology tells parents, “Well, that’s what makes them happy. Who are you to say that’s wrong? Just accept them as they are.” 

If you encounter a challenge, New Age tells you to simply focus on thoughts of love and acceptance. 

Common sense tells us that over time, without gentle correction in the moment, the child will go on to have more and more obnoxious behaviors. When a behavior becomes unbearable, modern parents resort to pumping their child full of ADHD meds or sending them off to a therapist's office so someone else can deal with the problem. (Yes, moms, Chill Child Calming Mist has its limits.)

New Age philosophy overemphasizes the individual.

Another key element of the New Age movement is the belief that God is not a divine being, but instead can be discovered within our own selves if we just do enough reflection, self-analysis, and personal development. 

In this philosophy, contributing to the common good is not seen as a virtuous goal. Instead, one should focus on achieving their own productivity goals, pursuing their individual hobbies, and increasing their personal freedom. A child raised with this ideology doesn’t need to put down their video game to help their mom wash the dishes. After all, that would restrict their ever-valuable freedom.

A child who is taught to focus on their own thoughts and desires will grow into a narcissistic adult.

A child who is taught to focus on their own thoughts and desires will grow into an adult who constantly seeks their own pleasure and entertainment. This can’t lead to a stable, healthy, or fulfilling life. This also happens to be the definition of narcissism.

It opens the door to destructive behaviors.

In the New Age philosophy, experimentation is seen as a way to “find yourself.” A common method of experimentation in our society is the use of mind-altering drugs. You need only peruse a few titles of psychedelic literature and you’ll see an abundance of affirming terms like “safe,” “therapeutic,” “sacred,” “healing,” and “transformative.” The New Age movement sees drug use as a legitimate way to reach enlightenment, which is their highest goal. 

The New Age movement sees drug use as a legitimate way to reach enlightenment, which is their highest goal. 

I’m not saying parents who follow this ideology would encourage drug use. But they have no ground to stand on when discouraging their teenagers from using them because, deep down, they believe this form of experimentation leads to positive experiences. However, as we all know, “casual” drug use has the potential to escalate. For some, it leads to a lifelong struggle with addiction and an intense battle with darkness. No parent wants that future for their child.

Closing Thoughts

Instead of “Momstrology” and other New Age theories, let’s parent based on time-tested principles: have plenty of patience, offer kindness, comfort, and encouragement, give timely advice, appeal to reason and responsibility, and offer correction when needed.