Picture this: Kids are hyper, making lots of noise, running around screaming and full of energy. Mom comes in, sprays three or four good doses of 100% natural lavender essential oil mist in the air, and within 15 to 30 minutes the noise level drops, the kids have found a calmer activity to play and mom's stress level decreases immensely. What? No discipline was required here?
Huge brand name companies such as Johnson and Johnson have realized that adding lavender oil to a night-time bath soap and lotion can aid in your baby or child having a restful sleep. Companies like Vicks have been using essential oils to relieve the symptoms of colds for years now, and ancient civilizations have known the physical and psychological benefits of using essential oils for centuries. Few people have realized though, that aromatherapy is extremely useful in uplifting, stimulating, relaxing, or calming children. It can even help them gain better mental clarity while they do homework or study for a test. How does it work?
Aromatherapy is a tested science that uses essential oils to stimulate our sense of smell and bring in positive effects on both mind and body. It is a natural, healing modality using essential oils, extracted from aromatic plant sources, to treat and balance the body, mind and spirit.
Smell stimulates parts of our brain that control our emotions, moods, memory and learning. Smell reaches these parts of the brain through cilia, which are the fine hair lining the nose.
So, knowing this, it isn't difficult to understand why aromatherapy can be an extremely proactive way of managing our children's behaviours or moods.
Below are some of the most beneficial oils to use in a household with children.
1) Amber oil - encourages harmony and balance
2) Basil oil - invigorates the body and refreshes the mind allowing for concentration, especially when tired
3) Bergamot oil - has an uplifting yet relaxing effect (the scent they use in Earl Grey tea)
4) Cardamom oil - enjoyed by the Egyptians as a perfume and incense, it refreshes and invigorates
5) Cedarwood oil - aids in nervous tension and stress
6) Chamomile, Roman oil - has a strong soothing effect
7) Clary sage oil - has uplifting and relaxing properties and encourages sleep
8) Eucalyptus oil - powerful antiseptic during cold seasons
9) Geranium oil - relaxes, restores and maintains stability of emotions
10) Grapefruit oil - energizes and helps elevate the mood
11) Hyssop oil- promotes alertness and clarity of thought (great to diffuse while children are doing homework or studying)
12) Jasmine oil - good for stress and general anxiety
13) Lavender 40/42 French oil - no home should be without this one. It balances your body and mind and it either calms or stimulates you, according to your body's needs.
14) Neroli oil - soothes, relaxes and uplifts the spirit and maintains confidence. Useful for apprehension like stage fright or test anxiety.
15) Peppermint oil - extremely energizing, yet calming
16) Rosewood - has a steadying and balancing effect on nerves which can be useful during exam time
17) Vetiver oil - deeply relaxing
Most pharmacies and all health food stores carry these essential oils so it is not difficult to find them. As well, there are many websites which sell them and give a deeper explanation of the benefits of each oil, both mental and physical, as well as which scents can be mixed together to create an appealing scent.
Make a list of the ones you are interested in, then go to a store and smell each one (maybe carry some coffee beans with you to sniff in between each scent). Some scents will sit well with you and some will not. For example, spearmint gives me a headache so I use peppermint instead. Ask your child to do the same sniff test if they are old enough.
Purchase a ceramic or electric steam diffuser and then test the scents in your home based on what kind of feeling you want to achieve.
Supermarkets use aromatherapy to make us buy certain foods (bread), and spas use aromatherapy to enhance our experience at their spa (total and utter relaxation), so why not use aromatherapy in our homes to proactively keep everyone in the home more calm and content? Of course this doesn't replace knowing and using good, consistent discipline techniques when needed, but perhaps you'll need to use them less! Try it, you'll see!
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