As we have continued in reducing our toxin load and bringing better options into our home, I have loved seeing the effect it has had on our kids. From experiencing changes to learning about options now available to them to support different areas of their wellness. And also, in seeing us as their parents turn to these options, my hope is they learn very early on all the ways they can truly support their bodies. And, of course, so they can understand the importance of being proactive with their health instead of reactive. I’m sure there are a lot who are curious about better options like these that our family uses, but not quite sure how to get started. We were there once too. So I thought I would share all about essential oils and kids – what we love in our home and how we use them.

Getting started

The goal we had in bringing Young Living and the products they offer into our home was, first and foremost, to reduce our toxin load. We are inundated with chemicals these days and I believe it is also why we see chronic health conditions like never before in our society. That along with sedentary lifestyles aren’t doing anyone any favors. So getting better options, cleaner options into our hands was our goal. Making more intentional choices to remove harmful chemicals from our lifestyle and home.

Using a company like Young Living made it easy for me as the mom because it is a one-stop shop. The idea of researching new products, ingredients, etc can be a full-time job when you know you want to make changes. I felt that in a big way. But after giving a few oils from Young Living a try and seeing what they did, I was hooked. And the more products we have tried out the more keepers we have found and have continued filling our monthly subscription box with. It has made making these changes in our home so much easier!

Outside of that first and main goal were more obvious areas we wanted to find support in. And areas as mothers that we are always trying to improve upon. Things like getting better sleep, natural remedies for minor daily ailments like tummy aches. Even changing out products with harsh ingredients that were causing skin irritations.

Achieving better sleep

At the time of discovering oils, our Brooks was 1.5 years old. And while we love co-sleeping he is a vicious sleeper – ha! We were getting punched and smacked nightly and while we love the little guy we also loved the idea of solid sleep and him staying in his bed through the night.

I remember that first day of getting our first oils on our doorstep. We added lavender to a diffuser, put it in the boys’ room at bedtime, and hoped for the best. Brooks stayed in his bed ALL. NIGHT. LONG. That next morning Jarett and I woke up feeling like two brand new humans. And if you are a parent with small kids and struggle with nights and getting good sleep, you know exactly that feeling of refresh! And you know how much it changes the game. 

Good sleep has helped our family with overall mood, energy level, and general wellness.

We have made sure to continue perfecting a solid bedtime routine. When you are consistent and go through the same motions every night, it trains your body for when it is time to shut down and get some rest to recharge. We hardly deal with whining, and we don’t have constant requests such as water breaks. As soon as we start our steps for bedtime, everyone just kind of seems to be more in the mood to get to the point – ha! This also helps Dad and I as well. It’s few and far between that we have those nights where we can’t get ourselves to go to sleep or have trouble staying asleep. Once we are out, we are out.

Our steps for a solid bedtime routine:

1. Baths (if it happens to not be a bath we make sure feet and faces are fresh and clean before climbing into bed)
2. We fire up the diffusers about 30 minutes before we are putting kids to bed
3. During that time I do have the kids pick up their rooms if it is needed. I swear this helps everyone’s mental state and allows for more peaceful sleep. It also means Dad and I are not tripping over things if we are needed in the middle of the night. (If you have ever stepped on a Lego at 1:30 AM in the morning with bare feet you know exactly what I mean.)
4. All the kids come together for scripture study, to apply their oils, and then we say a family prayer.

Our go-to essential oils for naps and bedtime are:

Lavender

KidScents Sleepyize

Gentle Baby

Peace & Calming

White Angelica

Usually the kids fill their diffusers with Lavender or Sleepyize. And then we apply Sleepyize topically simply just using a roller top that I snap nto the oil bottle. It has such a comforting scent to it!

We also apply an immunie boost blend that helps support their bodies in the best way. We apply it to bottom of feet, down spines, and behind ears and down the neck. 

Our immune boost roller blend:

Thieves

Frankincense

Lemon

Oregano

Side note: The wonderful thing about the KidScents oils is that they are formulated for safe use when it comes to our cubs. So they are already pre-diluted and ready to go. No need to DIY your own roller bottle. And I love that they come as a roller bottle if you prefer that style

In my tool bag for daily ailments

I knew nothing about essential oils when I first started. And I think the biggest eye opener was knowing that I finally had tools to help with those ailments for little ones that previously I was not able to do much for. Now, I have many options to turn to that are completely natural. And they not only help, but I can have peace of mind knowing that what I am using is truly supporting their health and not detracting with harsh ingredients or chemicals.

Tummy aches

Whether they just aren’t feeling too well or they ate something that didn’t agree with them, I love the KidScents Tummygize for this. I have added a roller top to the bottle and my little ones will simply grab it and rub it right on if their tummy is feeling kind of squirrely.

Bug bites

We have big ones here in the south and a little lavender, peppermint, and basil along with a few drops of fractionated coconut oil does the trick. I simply just drop a few drops of each in the palm of my hand and rub it right on the area. It takes away the itch and helps calm the inflammation. And no itching means no scratching which means they go away faster. I just love being able to make them comfortable because sometimes those bites can be brutal!

Tantrums

Mama, if you have a little one in your home that has big feelings you want Peace & Calming in your bag. Tantrum tamer. I kid you not.

Car sickness

One of our kids get car sick easily and peppermint is great for nausea. We have a car diffuser, but if you don’t just dropping a drop onto a cottom ball and stuffing that just slightly in the vent will do the trick too. It has helped on so many road trips!

Congestion + coughs

This is an area that makes me feel like Dr.Quinn Medicine Woman because I have learned so many ways to support these kiddos. In the winter months when it is a known thing to wake up congested, all of my kids reach for the KidScents Snifflease as a first approach. It has oils in it like Spearmint and Eucalyptus – all wonderful for respiratory support. 

But for the evenings and when they are under the weather, I will apply a blend of oils like Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Raven, and Lavender. These oils have antiviral and antimicrobial properties and also help in reducing inflammation. Rubbed right onto their chest, behind their ears, and down their spines makes all the difference! And of course, I have it all pumping through the diffuser right next to their bed as well.

*Mom hack: Applying things to the feet helps when they are under the weather! Even when oils weren’t our thing, I would apply Vicks Vapor rub to the bottom of feet and then put socks on them. They would be able to sleep through the night and better sleep meant they bounced back faster. 

There is so much more I could share, especially in areas like skin irritations and teen skin! Perhaps I will have to do a post just on that because oils have been a blessing for my older kids and the changes they go through!

Support with nerves, overwhelm, and anxious feelings

One of the biggest blessings has been having these tools to bring comfort when I have a little one who is overwhelmed, stressed, or anxious. This has never been more of a blessing than these past few months for Blair and all that she has gone through. 

She has had a hard time in social situations, going to doctor’s appointments and worried there might be a surprise blood draw, and really struggles if she and I are apart from eachother. We have a lot of unpacking to do and things to work through from the experience of being rushed to the ICU so for now, we hang out a lot together. And take things slow. And wait for that confidence to re-build. 

For those situations that she and I both know she might feel a little uneasy or worried, she uses oils to help. Oils like KidScents Kidpower (smells like a yellow Starburst – we’re addicted!) or Valor both have oils in them known for their calming effect and to help in reducing stress and anxiety.

I also made her a roller blend just for those types of feelings and when they rear their ugly head. It has a blue tint to it and we call it the unicorn blend. She loves it and carries it with her everywhere she goes!

Unicorn roller blend:

Valor

Frankincense

Stress Away

Orange

Even Tanner will reach for Valor before a football game and apply it on his wrists, on his chest and behind his ears. It is a wonderful thing to see your kids experience the benefits of natural solutions and continue turning to them.

Diffusing daily to set the mood

For bedtime, absolutely. But I have also found that diffusing specific oils during times like home studies or in the mornings can really have a wonderful effect in our home. 

If there were kids that had a late night or if they need to be up early for something, I will go through the house adding citrus oils to all the diffusers. Citrus is known for its uplifting and energy enhancing effect so oils like Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Tangerine – I will grab some and get them pumping in bedrooms. It helps to not only wake everyone up, but wakes everyone up on the RIGHT side of the bed if you know what I mean.

For our home studies I love diffusing oils like lemon and peppermint – scents I know that will wake everyone up and help them focus. We also love KidScents Geneyus for this reason as well. They will always grab that and roll it right on their wrists before diving into their studies.

Other diffuser combos we love for home studies:

Valor + Lemon (smells like pink lemonade)

Vanilla + Orange

My Anthro blend

Safer and more effective than the candles I use to use and I love that I can make any scent we want on the spot. And I love, more than anything, the comforting and cozy vibe it brings to our home every day.

This post could go on and on with all of the things I have discovered with oils and how much they have helped me mother. We absolutely love them and I can’t imagine doing every day life without them. If you have any questions at all, I am always happy to share!

How we got started with essential oils and clean products

When I share about how we are using oils to reduce our toxin load in our home, I always get asked what the best way to get started is. And, of course, I would love to have everyone join me because clean products have made such a difference in our home.

You can read more about our journey with Young Living essential oils and cleaner products here. 

Our family started with a Premium Starter Bundle in the fall of 2019. I loved it because it gave me a wide reach into everything Young Living oils and clean products can do in our home.

But you can also just shop the Young Living products I have mentioned in this post as well. It’s a great way to get started with what YOU need and the areas you want to find support in. 

Of course, if you have any questions reach out! I am always happy to chat about how our family is utilizing cleaner products and reducing our toxin load!