Even though the pictures are all smiles, my kid and me have some anxiety about going back to school. Pre-school last year took about a month before there wasn’t a dramatic drop off. As excited as we both are to do it again, I know both of us are a bit worried about another new school, another new teacher and longer hours. Of course there are breath work techniques, ways to familiarize your family with the new school before day 1 and many other things that can help. What I have also found very useful in this situation is essential oils. What’s great about them is that they not only can help with the good-bye’s but they will also be useful during the school day.

Here are oils and blends I find particularly useful:

1. Bergamot: This oil has been used to help with all kinds of stress. Whether it’s anxiety, depression, ADHD, general stress, panic or jealousy, aromatherapists have used bergamot with great results. It is part of the citrus family making it well liked by 90% of the people who smell it. It’s a super easy go-to oil and may also help with energy throughout the day.
2. Grapefruit Or Lime: Citrus oils in general are very up lifting. These two citruses are some of our best selling oils because of their fruity and crisp scent. All kids tend to love citruses and adults do too! These oils are our “happy” oils and can promote feelings of general well-being.
3. Unwind Blend: We’ve made this blend to but free of oils generally used for sleep. It is one of our most popular blends and many adult find they like to diffuse it while they work as it helps with relaxation and focus without making them drowsy. It has a pretty mild smell so it is not too overpowering for kids and all of the oils in this blend are safe to use with younger children too.
4. Harmony Blend: We originally designed this blend when we both had 3 year olds during the halloween season. We needed something to help us with tantrums and sugar highs! This blend has awesome, child friendly oils like mandarin, blue tansy and clary sage. The citrus smell has a mood lifting effect while the blue tansy is quite balancing and known to be able to promote inner courage.
5. Headache Roller: I find our headache roller extremely calming. It has a nice blend of oils like lavender, roman chamomile and frankincense mixed with some peppermint and eucalyptus. This makes is good for calming but also with properties that promote focus. The nice thing is, it’s also great for mild and moderate headaches making it pretty multi-purpose. Some of the oils are not suitable for topical application for kids under 9, so this is a great option for older kids and stressed out parents but not something we recommend for younger children.
6. Sweet Dreams Spray: This is my daughter’s favorite. We spray it on her stuffed animals at night and she sometimes asks for it before we leave the house, especially if she sees me putting on my spray. It’s amex of lavender and neroli which are both very soothing. The neroli can be a bit sedative for some people so you might want to see how your child does with this oil before sending them off to class with it.

Here are the ways I recommend using them:

1. On An Old Ribbon: This is the number 1 way I like to recommend using oils for kids. They can easily put it in their pocket or tie it around their wrist. All you have to do is place 1 or 2 drops of the oil on the ribbon and let is soak in then place it in the pocket or around the wrist. During the day they can occasionally smell it when they start to feel a little anxious. Of course you can do this too! I find that my little like to do things that are just like me so if you find a long enough ribbon you can both have a strip and there is a sense of still being attached to one another even though you are far away.
2. Lava Stone Jewelry: This works very similarly to the ribbon but is a bit more formal and pretty. They are basically necklaces or bracelets that have at least one lava bead on them. The lava absorbs the essential oils. Just like the ribbon, it can be brought up to the nose and smelled whenever you want. It basically is a portable diffuser. I would recommend using the bracelets over encloses for active kids as you don’t want the necklace to get caught during recess.
3. Sprays/Rollers: This is a great option for you or for older children. They are supper portable and can be applied easily throughout the day when you feel that anxiety starting to climb. For younger kids, it can be part of your morning routine to spray their sweater, hair or scarves before saying goodbye.

I hope the first few weeks back to school and activities treat you with ease and that these suggestions help. I know that I’m probably just as nervous to send my child off as she is to walk in the door… and that’s even before we get to the focusing for a whole day part! Fortunately, the oils themselves and the routine they can provide have helped us and others tremendously in the past. Try it out and let us know how it goes for you.

Jayleen