There’s no way around it: Parenting is stressful. Between cleaning up diaper blowouts, dealing with grocery-store temper tantrums, and trying to convince them that yes, they really do need to wear a coat because it’s 17 degrees out for heaven’s sake, it’s easy to feel beat down, overwhelmed, and on the brink of your own meltdown.
While CBD can’t solve every problem that comes with raising a tiny human, it can help mitigate some of the stress. And unlike shutting yourself in the bathroom with a bottle of wine and pint of Cherry Garcia (which, no judgment), there’s no hangover and no sugar crash. Need proof? Here are four moments when CBD comes in handy if you’re a parent.
1. When you’re trying to get everyone out the door in the morning
As a parent, your morning usually goes something like pee, get dressed, wake up toddler, dress toddler, wake up big kids, make breakfast, make second breakfast because the eggs were too “yellow,” locate missing sock, pack lunches, send kids back upstairs because they didn’t brush their teeth, hunt down your now-naked toddler, re-dress toddler, pack up the car, head to drop-off.
Not exactly the slow morning routine self-help gurus wax on about. While CBD can’t give you more time in the a.m., it can help restore some zen. In fact, CBD can become a ritual in itself—a way to take a moment for you, even if it’s just a few minutes. As it sets in, it can help you feel less frazzled and more clear-headed. You’ll be able to face each task and new challenge with calm and focus, even as the chaos swirls around you.
2. When there’s a reason it’s been a little too quiet
You know the moment: You suddenly realize it’s been too quiet for too long. You go into the room where they’ve been “playing quietly” only to find a layer of slime caked into your Moroccan rug. It takes everything you have not to scream, yell, and barricade yourself in your room for a few hours.
But by stepping away and putting a few drops of CBD under your tongue, you’ll not only have the chance to take a deep breath, but you’ll also be able to see the situation for what it is. You’ll be in a better place to go back into that room, gently remind them that slime can only be played with in the kitchen, and Google “how to remove slime from carpet” (FYI the answer is white vinegar). CBD doesn’t make the problem go away, but it can help you sweat it less.
3. Before doing the bedtime dance
By the time 6 p.m. rolls around, your patience is at an all-time low. First they forcefully declined the from-scratch mac ‘n’ cheese you slaved over (“I don’t like mac ‘n’ cheese anymore”), and now they’re running around the house naked, refusing to bathe. And that’s before you even get to the bedtime rigamarole: put on pj’s, brush teeth, go potty, sing a song, read two books (yes, only two), “Can I have a drink of water?”, “I forgot to say goodnight to Snuggles,” “It’s too dark when I close my eyes.”
While CBD can’t teach them how to put themselves to bed, it can help renew your patience. With a small amount of 20-40MG of CBD oil, you can head into the bedtime battle with a sense of calm—but without checking out. You’ll be able to curl up with your child and actually enjoy reading “Llama Llama” for the fifteenth time this week, knowing these are the moments you’ll cherish.
4. When you haven’t slept since giving birth
They’re finally asleep, and all you want to do is crawl into bed. Yet, no matter how tired you are, you pick up your phone and start scrolling through the 42,000 photos on your camera roll. You stare at their tiny faces, wondering how they’re yours. You rewatch that silly video of them from three years ago, wondering how they got so big.
Those precious moments make it all worth it. But the endless scrolling doesn’t do much for your energy the next day. On nights you need to get some rest, try taking CBD about 20 or 30 minutes before bed. It can help wash away stress and calm your mind, so you can fall asleep remembering the good moments of the day, without ending up five years deep on Instagram. And because there’s no hangover, you’ll wake up alert and well-rested, ready to get out of bed and do it all over again.
