Motherhood is wonderful and yes, bringing a child into this world is its own little miracle—and one to cherish. After becoming a mother separating the two, life pre-motherhood and motherhood, can be difficult and many of us begin to lose our identity outside of motherhood in the process.
A lot of women are beginning to speak out and reach out to one another about finding the home/work balance and making sure that kid(s) stay happy during the search for self-care. Add the non-stop media fueled pressure to be the “perfect” parent to the already demanding role of parenthood and we find ourselves with books like Christie Mellor’s, The Three Martini Playdate – A Practical Guide to Happy Parenting.
As Mellor says, “Simply put, you deserve a little time of your own, a little grown up time, time to do whatever it is that you like to do by yourself, or with friends.” Mellor’s book has been largely well received, but what about mothers whose “grown up time” consists of a couple hits of their favorite Kush strain and a good book? This is where things get sticky. Finding other cannabis-friendly mamas is not an easy task.
There is still a stigma surrounding marijuana and those who partake, even in states that have legalized recreational and medical cannabis. Add motherhood to this conversation and it can be really difficult to find fellow parents who are down with Mary Jane. Part of self-care is being able to spend time with other adults away from the children. It is so important but opening up about something that other parents could perceive as “bad” is hard and no one wants to feel ostracized or have mention of our recreational pastime create a ripple-down effect on our children at school.
“Have you seen the new dispensary on 1st avenue South? It looks really elegant!”
People in general, parent or not, have a tendency to pass judgement on mothers and our choice of parenting styles. Judgment comes easy by those who have zero cannabis education. Their only knowledge often being their dated public school D.A.R.E program—an unqualified source of legitimate cannabis education.
Intelligent, responsible adults who happen to also be parents, use marijuana for everything from serious health issues, anxiety and depression to pain relief and even as an aphrodisiac. Whether it is for a health issue, a good sex life or simple recreation is of no consequence. Parents are fully capable of using cannabis responsibly away from their children.
Mellor’s book, seeks to advocate and normalize the use of responsible consumption. We can only hope that the continued legalization and changing tides surrounding the perception of marijuana will also translate to enjoying a cannabis infused beverage and meeting up for happy hour with friends. Did someone say Puffing Patio?
Until then if you think another mama might be up for indulging, drop subtle hints while watching the kids play, “Have you seen the new dispensary on 1st avenue South? It looks really elegant!” and see if they react positively or not. After all, coming out of the proverbial “closet” helps to slowly erase long-held misconceptions and negative stigmas.
Being a mom is hard. If you live in a place where cannabis has been legalized, are marijuana infused playdates so far fetched? Let the little ones play outside while you responsibly indulge with some Nice Edibles and talk about your very real excitement about a class outing.