Though there have been various kinds
of parenting that have been considered «mainstream» over the years, the parenting subcultures I most often hear referred to as «alternative» parenting styles tend to be the ones that some folks might describe as being kind
of «hippie - ish» in nature: moms who intentionally plan to birth outside
of hospitals; moms who
breastfeed beyond six
months or a year; folks who babywear, especially if they do so more than they use a stroller or continue to do so well into toddlerhood; parents who co-sleep or use a family bed, especially past early infancy; free range parents; unschooling parents, and so on and so
forth.