Momfluencer Says Smoking Weed ‘Makes Me A Better Mom’
It was not long ago that if a parent admitted they were fans of smoking pot, it could draw concern from friends and family members. Fast-forward to 2021 and many countries across the world have decriminalized cannabis.
However, some of the social stigmas around the use of cannabis still remain, especially when it comes to parents. So one mom has decided to use her social media to break down the stereotypes.
"Weed Should Be Just As Acceptable As A Glass Of Wine"
Caitlin Fladager is a 26-year-old influencer mom from Canada who has gained massive popularity online by sharing the non-traditional parenting techniques that work for her family. She reveals that she smokes weed to help her combat some of the anxieties and challenges in her life.
It's no secret that parents across the country count down the minutes until they can tuck their kiddies into bed and pop the cork on a bottle of wine. Caitlin wants people to view smoking weed as the same thing, and to understand that it does not make you a bad parent.
But Where Did The "Devil's Lettuce" Come From?
The demonization of cannabis had partly to do with a large nationwide media campaign against the drug which began in the 1940s, with the government classifying it as a Schedule 1 substance alongside narcotics such as heroin and LSD.
This means that it was regarded as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.
Legalization Did Not Eliminate Social Stigmas
As the decades have passed, policies have loosened their grip on cannabis consumption. But, even though the drug has passed legalization in many places, the historical misconceptions and social stigmas of recreational cannabis use still remain in today's society.
Especially when a parent admits to using the drug.
"Weed Makes Me A Better Mom"
In this honest Instagram post, Caitlin uses the caption to explain that when people ask her how she is so patient and kind with her children, her answer is cannabis.
She has also said in another post, "I have never been the most patient with my two kids. Weed makes me a better mom, as I get a good night's sleep after I smoke. I wake up well-rested, and with a more clear mind.”
Smoking Weed Helps Manage Her Anxiety Disorder
Caitlin is very open with her followers about the benefits she's experienced from recreationally smoking weed, including helping with panic attacks, appetite, and insomnia. She has suggested it to other parents who may be similarly struggling.
Some people are open to the idea, while others choose to leave judgemental criticisms on her page. After recognizing how many people still held such negative feelings toward the drug, Caitlin decided to use her TikTok and Instagram pages to break down some of the myths and stereotypes.
Cannabis Is Still Frowned Upon In Public Spaces
In one of her Instagram captions, Caitlin points out the double standard that cannabis faces next to alcohol. "It's so funny to me how frowned upon marijuana is. No one looks twice when a mom says she enjoys 'mom juice' aka wine after her kids are in bed. But when a mom says she smokes weed, it’s a huge shock.”
Caitlin says that she always receives weird looks when she wears this shirt in public, but if she wears her "mom loves wine" shirt she gets high fives. Meanwhile, she acknowledges that smoking weed instead of drinking alcohol has had a massive impact on her mental health, which in turn helps to improve her family's lives.
She Teaches Her Children How To Spot Edibles
Caitlin is very open with her children about the use of cannabis products in her house to ensure their safety. In this clip from her TikTok page, she asks her kids, "What are these?" to which they respond, "Yummy edibles for you!"
They continue to say they know it's "mommy's medicine" and that it will make them sick if they eat them. She also teaches them where to look for a THC+ sign, usually represented by a cannabis leaf somewhere on the packaging which means it is not safe for them to consume.
People Always Assume You're Smoking Enough To Get High
One of the most common misconceptions that Caitlin runs into when she tells people she smokes weed is that they automatically assume she is smoking enough to get consistently high. That leads people to question whether she has the ability to be a good parent and take care of her children.
In reality, she prefers to smoke only after they have gone to bed. But sometimes if her anxiety is overwhelming in the day, on rare occasions, she has smoked while her children were awake. Surprise, nothing bad happened!
The Family Views It As "Mom's Medicine"
Caitlin doesn't usually smoke when her children are awake, but curious commenters asked her to address what happens when she does.
She explained, "When I smoke while my kids are up, which is rare, but it has happened, it is to calm myself. Not to get high, or to lay on the couch all day. It has helped me immensely with being a more patient mother, it has helped me gain the weight I needed to, and it has helped my insomniac self get some well-needed sleep at night.”
The Stigma Is Slowly Being Dismantled
Badass supermoms around the world are celebrating Caitlin's message and joining in to share their own experiences with cannabis use and how it has affected their parenting styles.
As research into the benefits and potential uses of cannabis expands, people are becoming more aware of the science behind the plant versus the politics. It will be interesting to see how the future generation of parents approach the topic of weed with their children.
Mom Says She Stops Parenting After 7:30, And Gets Called 'Selfish'
She is not a regular mom, she is a cool mom. Although she started out as just a mommy blogger, the mother of five published her own book. It's a heartfelt rant about shaming that aligns with her controversial yet empowering advice for mothers.
She has earned a spot as cast on Dancing With The Stars and has her own clothing line for her fans who she calls her Queens.
To Be The Mom Who Can Do It All, You Need To Cut A Few Corners
Constance wouldn't have been able to gain her 427 thousand followers on Instagram and 1.2 million on Facebook if she hadn't had some time for herself to work on it.
To do so, she said she checks out around 7.30 p.m. after a long day of parenting to focus on her own needs and career.
She Says She Is Her Kids' Slave And Needs A Break
"I'm not your mum; I'm not here. I'm not your slave, I’m just a statue of a woman who an hour ago wiped your bum and is now drinking wine chatting on the phone to her sister," Constance explains.
The mom takes the rest of the day to do press, advertise for her clothing line, or simply relax
Any Non-Emergency After 7:30 Is Up To The Kids
Constance says that anything that is not an emergency after she clocks out is up to her kids to do.
For example, if they have clean clothes in their laundry bucket, it is up to them to fold it.
She Likes To Also Give Her Kids Freedom Of Choice, Even For Bathtime
Constance applies the same philosophy to her kids. If she can choose to stop being a mom at 7:30, then her kids can choose whether they want to shower every day.
If they don't feel like it that day or it's getting them down, she lets them skip that part of their routine and face the consequences at school if they smell.
She Even Has A Trick To Avoid Dishes
Cutting corners is a whole lifestyle that makes every day easier for Constance. When it comes to dinnertime, she opts for the cheaper and more practical picnic-style dinner.
She encourages her kids to feast with their hands to avoid dishes, as she says many other cultures do.
It's Not The First Time She Has Made Headlines With Her Advice For Moms
In 2016, Constance made the rounds with an emotional Facebook post about living with post-natal depression
She cried to struggling mothers and wives saying, "To the woman with piles of dishes and washing who walks straight out the door for a coffee at her friend's, I salute you. Being a good mum or wife or human does NOT mean spending eternity cleaning your house."
Some Parents Praise Her Methods
Constance's methods echoed with many parents, especially ones who need to make a living for their kids. One parent says that they put all four of their kids to bed at 6 p.m. in winter, 7 p.m. in summer, from birth.
"They knew no different. I found I could cope with anything all day, knowing I had time out after 6 p.m. It worked for 10–12 yrs. I was a widow."
While Others Found Her Selfish
Naturally, some parents disagreed, as they felt that a mother's job is not like any other 9–5 career. Someone even commented, "She sounds like she cares more about herself than her kids!!"
Some went as far as alerting social services to her being an unfit mother.
She Is Unbothered
Constance doesn't pay much attention to the negative comments, nor does she bother to address them.
Instead, her recent posts show that she continues to thrive in her career, namely her clothing line while featuring her kids in many of her posts to get the best of both worlds.
