To outsiders, it may seem that the only thing that separates Marin from the rest of the Bay Area is an oft-photographed bridge. But locals know that North of the Golden Gate is a world of its own—one where microfleece reigns and the kids are known to utter “Who’s Bart?” Read on to discover the 20 signs that you’re a Marin parent, and let us know in the comments if there are any you would add.
Photo by Thijs Knaap via Flickr
1. Your kids thinks “juice” is bright green and tastes like a salad.
2. Your “other ride” is a mountain bike with a Burley trailer attachment.
3. You become a neighborhood celebrity by handing out actual candy bars on Halloween.
4. Your entire family has gone out to dinner dressed in yoga pants and microfleece.
5. You assume that any grown-up at the park under the age of 30 has to be the babysitter.
6. Your kids beg to go food shopping every weekend, thinking it means kettle corn, folk music and a bouncy house.
7. Your child practices identifying numbers and letters while driving around town, shouting, “Q7” “M3” “A4” “XC90”
Photo by stevetulk via Flickr
8. When your child draws a rainbow, it’s over a tunnel with a car driving underneath.
9. The invitation to your child’s birthday party includes a trail map for directions and a request to end world hunger in lieu of a gift.
10. The Easter Bunny hides recycled eggs filled with gluten-free rice crackers.
11. One third of the moms in your playgroup are launching their own business—at least one is a life coach.
12. Your child learned to maneuver a singletrack before mastering a staircase.
13. You quickly learned never to say “make sure it’s okay with your Grandma” when sharing a snack with your child’s new friend at the park.
Photo by haroc via Flickr
14. Your kid’s friends, their parents, his teachers and now you are training for a triathlon.
15. Your Stinson Beach bag includes down jackets, hats and mittens in addition to boogie boards and sunscreen.
16. Once a week you encounter unsolicited advice from a complete stranger on such topics as vaccination schedules, babywearing, and what you should or should not feed your children.
17. The social order among parents at the playground appears to be based solely on BMI.
18. Instead of an ant farm, your child asks Santa for a worm-composting kit for Christmas.
19. You schedule your days around the traffic patterns on the 101, i.e. a Friday afternoon visit to the Discovery Museum means dinner in Sausalito before heading north.
20. Your kids learned multiplication early by listening to conversations about price per square foot.
What did we miss? Share your “Only in Marin” mom-isms in the comments below.
—Sarah Lynch
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