How excited do kids get with the start of school approaching? Getting kids to go from the freedom of school holidays to move to that place of being settled and ready for school can be a challenge for some parents. Many children now days are identified as being ADD and ADHD I call these kids "go fasts" and the transition from holidays to school can be a bit more of a challenge for these kids. Being a "go fast" kid is fine, they are full of excitement and life, but it does not always suite the classroom environment. So how do you handle the transition time as they move into the structures of a new school year and a classroom environment?
An easy way to assist the transition process is to integrate some basic aromatherapy into your child's routine. Aromatherapy is a simple and effective way to create a calm, grounded and positive environment for your children and environment. Now we know that you cannot control the classroom environment, but what you can do is take that environment the child is used to and move it into the classroom. This way you are transforming the child's environment to one where they make the transition easier. This transformation can be achieved easily with aromatherapy. All that is need is to place a few drops of essential oil on a tissue to be inhaled during the day as needed or a massage a couple of drops of the oil onto the soles of their feet before school.
Throughout my years in clinic I have worked with many schoolteachers who have used essential oils in their classrooms to help ground kids especially after they race around at lunch breaks. I have also worked with parents and carers using similar essential oils to ground kids before and after school.
As a naturopath, I have found that "go fast" kids cannot always settle, simply because their minds are so creative and they are not grounded, and it is sad to see the creativity being suppressed with medications. Yes, there are many factors influencing why kids are going fast, but I have found grounding them is a simple place to start and then they function like everyone else, while still retaining their creativity. When a person of any size is grounded they can be attentive and stay focused, sit still and cope with pressures that are presented. In clinic I have treated adults going far faster than any kid is going to go by using the same system of getting them grounded first. We are all human and get caught up in life, kids pick up on everything that is going on, that excitement can build and it has to come out somewhere. The more stimulated, the faster they go, ground them so that they can focus on one thing at a time and anything is achievable.
In aromatherapy there is one essential oil in particular that is excellent at keeping people of any size grounded. That essential oil is Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides). Vetiver is distilled from the roots of a tall grass like plant and it has a very earthy and musky aroma. Over the years Vetiver has been my most used oil in clinic.
In a two-year study Dr. Terry Friedman MD worked with children between the ages of 6 to 12 years, looking to identify the uses of essential oils in the treatment of ADD and ADHD. Twenty children not diagnosed with ADD/ADHD were used as the control group and twenty children with a confirmed diagnosis of ADD/ADHD were used as the study group. A blend of essential oils was created using Vetiver, Cedarwood and Lavender and the children were encouraged to inhale the aroma whenever they felt "scattered". The children were assessed over a 30-day period on each essential oil.
When the children inhaled the oils their brainwaves settled back into their normal patterns, which helped improve their behaviour and scholastic performance. The results of the study showed that Lavender increased performance by 53%, Cedarwood increased performance by 83% and Vetiver increased performance by 100%. Essential oils are not the only answer but are very effect and simple to integrate into a child's environment to assist with handling life's challenges.
In Dr Friedman's study the essential oils were inhaled or used with an aromatherapy vaporiser. In my clinic I also found it very useful to blend the essential oils into a base oil and massage it onto the child's feet where they are quickly absorbed. The following is the blend I have used with my patients and found to be very effective. If you want to vaporise the blend, simply use the essential oils in the vaporiser and if you wish to apply the oils to your child's skin dilute 5 drops of the essential oil into 50ml of cold pressed almond oil that you can get from your local health food store.
Go Fast Kids Blend
Try vaporising my own "Sanity Saver" blend containing Vetiver, Geranium, Australian Sandalwood, Patchouli and Ylang Ylang. This simple and earthy blend stops their minds racing so that you can focus on one thing at a time. It helps to restore some peace and balance to all of your lives. I use the same blend to keep me grounded during my busy brain times.
Jennifer Jefferies is one of Australia's best-known authors and speakers and she has a prescription for modern living. Her powerful message is of work, life and balance ? and how to have it all through the 7 Steps to Sanity. Jennifer shows us how to achieve more success and happiness by learning how to manage ourselves, our time and our lives. With uncommon common sense Jennifer will show you or your team how to incorporate simple lifestyle changes into every day life that will help you to feel better and achieve more than you ever thought possible. To purchase a copy of Jennifer's Calm Kids Book or find out more http://www.jenniferjefferies.com
Life Balancing expert Jennifer Jefferies is one of Australia's best-known authors and speakers. Jennifer's simple, practical and proven 7 Steps to Sanity can help bring balance to anyone who wants to have it all without sacrificing their health, sanity or sense of humour along the way. Jennifer is a qualified health practitioner, who speaks to corporations throughout Australia, New Zealand and Southeast Asia, sharing practical real-life strategies that help people to improve their health, wellbeing and productivity by finding balance in their lives.
Jennifer has also written numerous books and e-books and life balancing products. You can contact Jennifer at:
Jennifer Jefferies International Pty Ltd
Po Box 4298,
Elanora, QLD 4221 Australia
Phone: +61 7 55986035
http://www.jenniferjefferies.com
I remember when my daughter was born, later my son.... Read More
It's been raining for a week and the kids and... Read More
AD/HD (attention deficit disorder) is one of the most common... Read More
Ever feel like you're out of the loop when it... Read More
We adopted our first child when he was three months... Read More
Q. With the school year just beginning, what can we... Read More
The internet is a dangerous place for your children. Don't... Read More
Just the other day, I was talking to some other... Read More
Search for Assurance: The Power of BelongingThe job hunt is... Read More
It happens every year. Just when you are settled in... Read More
IntroductionAs a parent who wants the best for your children,... Read More
On a recent Saturday evening, I noticed a young teen-age... Read More
The Internet is one of the greatest inventions of all... Read More
The big yellow school bus is coming down my road... Read More
Q: A parent writes in to ask, "You write a... Read More
"Just turn the lights off and go to sleep"Do you... Read More
"Home Schooling ? Look Before You Leap"Are you considering home... Read More
Those of you that have children know what an excursion... Read More
Did you know that you are the most important person... Read More
We are all so very happy to see that the... Read More
4 traps to avoidTrap 1 - Parents need to realize... Read More
Goal setting is essential for building a successful life. However,... Read More
John Bishop's Goal Setting for Students.comLegacy to Your ChildrenIt's 6:30... Read More
Q. What is the best way to teach safety awareness... Read More
It was no contest. Given a choice between a ball... Read More
O'Hare Chicago prom limo ..Suppose that you rearrange your life to homeschool your child... Read More
Child Safety Restraints and children in work vehiclesIf you take... Read More
Should a parent give a child a tangible reward when... Read More
It's hard to explain to the uninitiated the changes that... Read More
Best friends! It may seem impossible to believe, but today's... Read More
In my opinion, these things matter...1. Enjoying childlike delights before... Read More
You no longer have to use Ritalin or other stimulants... Read More
Early childhood educators have called play "children's work". Many parents... Read More
Thank you for all that you do in the classroom!... Read More
What are the easiest things citizens can do to prevent... Read More
Software for parental control is a useful tool, if applied... Read More
Vouchers, which give tax money to parents to pay for... Read More
Are you looking for the Ultimate Airplane Themed Party Games... Read More
In June, elementary school children across North America cheered as... Read More
Former students would probably attest to the fact that few... Read More
I had just completed a session with 17-year old Julie... Read More
When a parent is deployed with the military it can... Read More
The successful preschool idea behind many successful preschool learning centers... Read More
The biggest complaint you hear from parents about their children... Read More
There are many useful jogger stroller accessories out on the... Read More
Is it possible to be using our children addictively?Anything that... Read More
Teenagers are a work-in-progress, and parenting teenagers can be tricky... Read More
For first time parents choosing a swing set or outdoor... Read More
Every school year parents and students dutifully trudge through the... Read More
Most of our Founding Fathers, including Ben Franklin, Sam Adams,... Read More
Parenting |