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 WAS AMAZEDI could hardly believe what I was hearing.... Read More
Most of us can agree that there is a lack... Read More
Parents are always looking for ways to open up the... Read More
Parents looking for a quick fix usually choose troubled teen... Read More
Oh Please, Don't Say Maybe!!!!Are you often a participant in... Read More
Pool safety should be on the minds of every parent... Read More
In 1996-97 we were contracted by VAXA International of Tampa,... Read More
Recently, a much-anticipated game of mini-golf with my children soon... Read More
We're all familiar with the over-indulgent parent. But there's another... Read More
During the assessment process it is of great importance for... Read More
"Hugging is healthy: it helps the body's immunity system, it... Read More
Is there a way to build a robot to help... Read More
Uh oh.Your kids arrive home with their school reports and... Read More
In our last article about the neurology of ADHD we... Read More
Do you feel like someone has abducted your sweet, innocent... Read More
There are a few points about shyness in children which... Read More
Many working families choose a commercial or individual day care... Read More
Most of the ADHD kids that are seen in a... Read More
More and more kids these days are diagnosed ADD, ADHD,... Read More
My daughters and I went to the beach several weeks... Read More
Just two days ago, another 15-year old child was added... Read More
Elana, born in Russia, was told "We really don't know... Read More
The biggest complaint you hear from parents about their children... Read More
I'm sure many of you have heard that old Hallmark... Read More
Public education in the United States has never been equal... Read More
shuttle from Midway Munster are ..Many families, ours included, have learned that breakfast is eaten... Read More
In theory, working at home is an ideal situation. But... Read More
You do what you can to keep your little ones... Read More
College is one of the largest expenses through the course... Read More
Keith is now in the fourth grade and he dislikes... Read More
What is child sexual abuse? Any sexual activity that is... Read More
Before my daughter was born my house was... Read More
the woes of being a parent of an ADHD child.....Like... Read More
Do you struggle to get your child to bed at... Read More
Dear Camille,As I thumb through the photographs that I carry... Read More
Hints from Ruowen Wang? Keep a small basket filled with... Read More
Gift shops are a kid magnet and often a trip... Read More
Early childhood educators have called play "children's work". Many parents... Read More
The Internet, is magnificent in its resources for families. Educational... Read More
Does the homework battle so typical with your hyperactive or... Read More
If you are like most people today, you do not... Read More
Sex has a lot to answer for ? babies usually... Read More
"The greatest gift I ever had Came from God, and... Read More
In my opinion, these things matter...1. Enjoying childlike delights before... Read More
Little Suzy has really been having a hard time getting... Read More
Who Can Register A Birth? The child's mother... Read More
Your child's teacher says that you need to find out... Read More
Many reasons will cause some people to feel the need... Read More
When a couple steps forth with a baby in tow... Read More
Q. How do we decide what our teens should be... Read More
Parenting |