Back to School Essentials
I LOVE having my kids home for the summer! Vacations, sleeping in, no schedules, etc. But after two months, I am ready for school to start. I'm ready to not be such a taxi driver and to get my routine back! How about you?
It's now prep time; new school clothes, shoes, and supplies. Also, curricular activities are scheduled and starting up again. It's fun, exciting and nervous all at the same time. As a mom, I'm wanting my kids to not only succeed this year, but to THRIVE! There's four areas of health I focus on to give my children the best support; brain function, immune support, proper sleep, and focus and concentration.
BRAIN FUNCTION
Some of us love it. Some of us hate it – FISH! But no matter what you think, fish contains a magical ingredient – Omega 3. We’ve probably all heard of this fatty acid before, but are you familiar with many of its great benefits? Such as…
- Helps calm anxious feelings - Sharpens memory - Improves ability to learn and concentrate - Enhances mood and emotional well-being
There’s even a recent study that showed students who took Omega-3 with their meals for six months, improved in school performance in relation to reading, spelling, and behavior. WOW! After learning this, I was more diligent with giving my kids these supplements. I did notice a huge different in my youngest son’s school performance.
doTERRA has two GREAT options for us. My older kids who can swallow pills take the xEOMega capsules. My younger son takes the liquid IQMega. This liquid has Wild Orange essential oil infused in it to help with a great taste. (You could even hide in Smoothies or Salad Dressing.)
Besides Omega-3, proper nutrition is so important for kids to be able to be energized and focused. I don’t know how your kids are, but mine do need eat the best all the time. Especially my boys, they are so picky and nearly impossible to get them to eat vegetables. So I definitely make sure that they take a multivitamin.
I love these multivitamins! The nutrients come from WHOLE FOODS, there’s no dyes, sugar or synthetic preservatives included at all. I’m always sick when I read what is actually included in kids vitamins, especially the gummy kind! Here again, we have 2 choices, capsules to swallow or chewables. The chewable are strawberry flavored, which my kids love. Plus the vitamins and the omegas include essential oils to help our bodies to absorb the nutrients and digest it properly. WIN-WIN!
OPTIMAL IMMUNITY
I used to dread when school started, because that also meant GERMS! I’m sure you can imagine all the bugs that are floating around the classroom. But being a teacher, I’ll tell you it’s probably even worst!
Desktops, Pencil Sharpeners, Doorknobs and Faucets – OH MY!!
My FAVORITE product to combat this and help support immunity is On Guard (Protective Blend). I use this oil 3 different ways...
Topically: Before my kids head out to school I put On Guard on the bottom of their feet. The feet is a great place to apply the oils. It’s the less sensitive area of the body and gets into the blood stream very quickly.
Aromatically: I love diffusing essential oils, mainly because everyone can benefit! It helps clean the air from any unwanted pathogens. It can boost and support the immune system just by breathing it in.
Internally: I love that doTERRA has these small Beadlets. My kids can easily swallow them, or let them dissolve in their mouths. When I need a little bit of extra support, I take the On Guard+. This has some other powerful oils to help give you more of a boost. But I love that I have multiple options of what and how I use essential oils.
HEALTHY SLEEP
I don’t know how it is at your house, but bedtime can be a little crazy at my house. Especially having both teenagers and a younger kid. Not everyone has the same bedtime, which can be hard on the younger one. But it is so important that kids get enough sleep at night.
According to the University Health Center, “Students who sleep at least 8 hours have a higher GPA than those who get 6 or fewer. They also tend to feel more tired, sad and stressed.” They recommend school-aged children (5-10yrs) get 10-11 hours of sleep, and Teenagers (10-17yrs) get 8.5-9.5 hours of sleep.
Once it’s time to go to bed, my kids all love the blend Serenity. It has many calming oils that are peaceful and help them to relax. I’ll rub the bottom of their feet and ears with the oil and also put it in the diffuser in their room. (This oil has also helped to calm them down during a tantrum.)
MENTAL CLARITY & FOCUS
As a teacher, each year I seemed to have more and more students who had trouble paying attention and focusing for extended periods of time. I believe it’s part to do with how overstimulated our kids can be. They’re involved in lots of activities and distractions, and are needing some support in focusing.
Many things we’ve already talked about will help; proper nutrition, Omega-3, and getting enough sleep. But there are also some essential oils that I like to use on my kids. I have seen a big difference with not only my son, but also students I’ve had who used these oils.
InTune (Focus Blend) and Balance (Grounding Blend)
I put Balance on the bottom of the feet and shoulders first thing in the morning. This helps with circulation and balancing out emotions. Then I put InTune on the back of the neck by the brain stem. This oils is great to help to keep one focused and on task. My son, keeps InTune in his backpack and reapplies at school if needed.
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
Most of us have our children in a variety of activities after school. At our house we have Piano Lessons, Boy Scouts, Dance, and Sports (depending on the season). There is an awesome kit that I keep in my daughter’s dance bag and boy’s sports bags. It’s called the Athlete’s Kit.
It’s a black case that includes: -Deep Blue Rub: Soothing cream to help with sore muscles and joints -5ml Breathe (Respiratory blend): to help open up the airways and breathe more clearly -5ml On Guard (Protective Blend): for immune support -5ml Lavender: for calming stress -5ml Melaleuca: to help with any skin irritations and smelly feet -5ml Peppermint: to cool the body (also helps with breathing and digestive support)