Name: Beta Mum. Age: 25-45. Appearance: Carefree, at peace, only vaguely aware of jelly babies stuck in their hair. As opposed to an Alpha Mum, I take it. Yes. Or, more precisely, the opposite of a Helicopter Mum. Beta Mums reject the whole ethos of helicopter parenting, with its constant supervision and crippling expectations, in favour of a more laid-back, laissez-faire approach to child-rearing. Leaving your kids in the car while you go to a casino, that sort of thing? No, not that sort of thing. It’s about giving children more freedom to explore, while also limiting their extracurricular activities so you don’t have to drive them around all the time. I think I understand. Being a Beta Mum means letting your kids do their own homework, make their own mistakes and organise their own leisure time, within reason. So: ignoring them, but in a good way. Exactly. A Beta Mum also gives herself permission to preside over a messy, chaotic, less-than-Instagrammable household. Seems vaguely familiar to me.…