Hi friends,

I’ve been taking psychedelics regularly for about 10 years now. I started when I was 20, and I’d describe myself as a psychedelic enthusiast—or even a nerd. Psychedelics are like my personal form of spirituality. My wife feels the same way and is fully supportive, so life is great. But things are about to change as we’re expecting our first child.

How did your approach to tripping or using psychedelics change after becoming a parent?

For me, the first step is obviously making my storage area for psychedelics childproof. Beyond that, I know my child will always be my top priority, no matter what. While I don’t plan to hide my psychedelic use from them entirely, I do want to frame it as something like medicine. Kids love to talk, and since psychedelics are still illegal where I live, it could be problematic if they mentioned something like, “Dad took LSD over the weekend, and we had a great time!”

I also plan not to use psychedelics openly in front of my child, or at least to be discreet about it. For example, a mushroom tea might be reframed as a cacao ceremony for the family—mine just happens to be more “potent.” I’m fortunate to have a big house with a dedicated ceremony room, so I can retreat there if I need a private space.

I am really looking into playing with my children when I am on LSD to be fully in their world and just to have fun together.

When my child gets older and is at the age where they might encounter drugs through friends, I want to have open, honest conversations with them. I’ll explain what I believe are “good” drugs, “bad” drugs, and the absolute no-goes. I’ll also teach them about safer use and responsible consumption.

To all the parents out there: how do you manage your psychedelic use around your children? What are your tips and best practices? I’d love to learn from your experiences!