Wishing that our parents were more “normal” is the cornerstone of many childhoods, if not all. But no child knows this more than those with hippy parents.
A cupped hand filled with sunflower seeds at break time, packed lunches of falafel and lentils, hand-knitted hand-me-down jumpers, and acoustic guitar sing-a-longs to finish the day; the life of a child raised by hippies wasn’t easy.
In a piece for the Guardian’s Weekend magazine, writer Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett describes how the hippy lifestyle is back in fashion – if only with a slightly cleaner and Instagram-ready slant. Cowhide yurts have been swapped for five-star glamping, flower hairbands are purchased on Etsy, and meditation comes in downloadable 30-minute sessions to your smartphone: “commodification of the counterculture is complete,” says Cosslett.
Share your stories
If you were raised by hippies, or raised children within a hippy lifestyle, we’d like you to share your experiences with us. Have you recoiled from your upbringing? Or how has your parents’ lifestyle influenced yours? And if you raised your family within a hippy lifestyle, what are your reflections? What do you make of the return of macramé, sage-burning and flower hairbands?
You can fill in the form below – anonymously, if you prefer – or you can click on the blue ‘Contribute’ button at the top of this article to share your thoughts and photographs. We’ll use a selection in our reporting.
We will do our best to make sure your information is secure.
Peace out.
