You probably already know that essential oils are great for all sorts of uses to support your wellness, but there were a few surprises in store for me as I began to use essential oils with my kids.
Calming down
Look, life with young kids can be tough sometimes. Sleep deprivation, co-sleeping, nursing, hunger, teething, new developmental milestones, parental discord, sibling rivalry, and so much more can cause some seriously tense moments in any home, mine included. So sometimes we need tools to help us de-escalate.
A short sensorial meditation is a tool we use on a regular basis. We each pick an oil we like, I place one drop in the palm of one hand, we rub our hands together, and then cup our hands over our noses, close our eyes and take at least 5 deep breaths. You don’t need a fancy diffuser to enjoy essential oils, your hands can be your diffuser! Lavender, frankincense, and lemon are some of our favorite choices when we need to take a moment to breathe and calm down.
I am consistently amazed at what a difference 5 deep breaths can make to my own emotional state, and when paired with one of my favorite essential oils, this practice becomes a delightful sensorial experience, which just encourages me to drop the drama and breathe again next time.
In our house, this technique quickly helps to resolve sibling conflicts by allowing each person to take a moment to reflect on their experience. Everyone is usually calm enough after 5-10 breaths to discuss the issue further without arguing. Sometimes my kids will even offer one another empathy and listen to each other after a short meditation like this, when before hand, they were each fighting to be heard.
Diffusing for a purpose
Oils can have different effects on different people, but there are some qualities of essential oils that are fairly universal so by diffusing a specific oil for a specific purpose, we may find certain oils to have an enlivening or awakening effect (Citrus), support focus and clarity (Rosemary), be calming and relaxing (Lavender, Copaiba, Frankincense), or even comforting (Christmas Spirit blend). Experiment with your own family and find the blends and single oils that work best for you. For us, this can be a preventative measure that helps everyone get their needs met and ensures that we maintain peace, even at the end of a long day. Typically, 30-60 minutes of diffusing is all we need to shift the energy of our household.
Owie magic
There are several ways that I use essential oils with my kids when they’re injured. For bumps and bruises, I apply Owie oil directly to the affected area. For cuts or abrasions I usually apply the oil nearby, but not into the open wound.
Please do be careful to introduce oils to your kids slowly and educate them about appropriate uses to ensure that your child’s experiences with oils are positive ones. Definitely make sure that children and babies don’t get peppermint or winter-mint oil into any of their mucous membranes (eyes or nose). If you’ve ever made this mistake yourself, you know what I’m talking about…ouch!
Turning bad stink into good
If you have a diaper pail in your house, you know that not every corner of your home smells wonderful all the time, but with essential oils on hand you can easily battle the bad smells with good ones. For my own diaper trash I loved the blend Purification, it contains lemongrass which really cuts through bad smells. I either put a few drops on a cottonball, used a room spray, or diffused it. All of these methods are effective ways to clear out yucky smells. And since you’re using plant-based essential oils, you don’t have to worry about the toxic and sometimes hormone disrupting ingredients in chemical perfumes.
Bath time magic
Do your kids resist bathing like mine do? I swear, I cannot say the word bath without loud protestations from my children about how it can’t possibly be bath night. The other day I knew it was time, it had been DAYS since their last bath but my daughter was resisting big time…until I offered her a drop of essential oil in the bath! I told her that she could choose which one she wanted and then I offered her a sniff from a few of my favorite oils and she knew instantly which one she wanted in her bath. I just dropped the oil directly into the bath water, but you can also mix it into some Epsom salts for a similar effect. Her resistance melted and she happily jumped into the nice smelling bath!
Scent recognition game
Another fun way to use essential oils with kids is to ask them to close their eyes and try to identify the scent. Children love these types of sensorial challenges. One my son’s children’s books says that our nose can detect over 1 TRILLION smells. I have no idea if that’s true, or even how they would determine that, but I do know that humans have evolved to be able to detect different colors, smells, tastes, and textures to help us survive. Developing these skills of discrimination can be hugely helpful later in life. Who knows, maybe he’ll become a master chef? Or perhaps she’ll be a farmer. No matter what we choose to do as adults, developing our senses as children can provide a great advantage.
What medicine cabinet?
Did you know that the FDA has recalled some children’s cough medicines because they’re no longer considered safe?! Now we just use honey instead and it works great! While I cannot recommend essential oils to treat diseases because of the FDA’s regulations on such statements, I can tell you that for supporting wellness, essential oils are awesome.
We have used them for many purposes, to keep our lungs and breathing clear (Eucalyptus, or RC), to prevent toenail fungus (Tea Tree), to ease the pain of a scrape, bruise, or burn (lavender), to support our immune system’s optimal functioning (Thieves), to help sore muscles feel better (PanAway, Copaiba), and lots more. We try to avoid over the counter medications as much as possible and since adding essential oils to our repertoire, I’ve gotten rid of just about every “medicine” in the cabinet! The only drug store item left is ibuprofen but I am using about 10x less of that too! Now my cabinet is filled with vitamins, supplements, and essential oils and I feel great about using the oils with my kids.
Monster spray
I think most children go through a time when they’re afraid of monsters under their bed, or afraid of the dark, or just feeling uneasy about being alone in their bedrooms. Monster spray has helped us a bunch. You can choose an essential oil that you like, add about 10-15 drops to about a cup of water, add about a tablespoon of witch hazel (this helps the oil distribute throughout the water) and put it all in a spray bottle. I’ve seen some parents get creative with a label, but I didn’t bother with that. Now when your child gets afraid, remind them that monsters are imaginary, and just in case, you have monster repellant!
Essential oils have enriched our lives so much. I hope that you enjoy them as much as we do! And if you’d like to sign up for wholesale prices from my favorite essential oil company, Young Living, click this link to sign up with a premium starter kit and I’ll get a small commission from everything you buy, forever! Plus, I’ll be here for you if you have any questions. Want to know more? Ask me about Young Living’s Seed to Seal promise!
And have a wonderful great smelling week!