It’s that time of year! When sickness is EVERYWHERE. The flu, common colds that turn into sinus infections and ear infections, strep throat, stomach bugs, you name it, it’s going around. Ever since we started using essential oils, our whole protocol for taking care of ourselves has changed. And not just for us, but our kids, too. We no longer live our life on the wellness defense, we live on the offense. I thought it would be super helpful to let you in our wellness guide for littles since I know you all could use a healthy dose of that, no pun intended.
I started using essential oils when Charlotte was 5 and Colin was 1. It’s been baby steps to a better way ever since. If I never would have started using them, I truly don’t think I would have searched for better solutions for my family. I would have been stuck in our rut, thinking runny noses and always feeling like poo were the norm. But sister, let me tell you. It is NOT the way. There is a life of wellness waiting for you. You just have to want to seek and be the change.
There have been some huge things we’ve done to change the wellness game in our household. Over the past two years, the key factors for upping our immunity and wellness has been this:
Ditching as many toxins from our home.
Adding in supplements.
Changing our diet.
Using essential oils & natural remedies.
Grab an almond milk latte and dig in.
WELLNESS GUIDE FOR LITTLES
Ditching as many toxins from our home.
There are so many reasons why we ditched the chemicals from our home, but the biggest one is because of one ingredient: FRAGRANCE. Fragrance is a huge endocrine disruptor, asthma trigger, migraine aggravator, allergy inducer, and sinus irritant. If you look up “which household chemicals are toxic to humans?” in a Google search, you’ll find a list of ingredients that are in almost EVERY common household product sold and marketed across the U.S. That’s going to be a no from me.
Ditch the fragrance in your common household cleaners, bath, & body products for CLEAN options. I have fallen in love with the Thieves line and Kidscents line from Young Living, because I know the ingredients, and I know that it’s safe for my family. It has truly made a world of difference.
From our laundry detergent to our hand soap to our body lotion, everything is infused with NATURAL essential oils (not synthetic or filled with fillers). Know better, do better.
Adding in supplements.
There are a few things we do for our kids now to keep them above the wellness line. The most important thing we can do to keep our kids feeling well is establishing a great daily routine. Good sleep habits + daily probiotics + Thieves hand sanitizer every single time we leave a public place (school, the grocery store, the playground, etc.) + Ningxia Red + LOTS OF LOVE = happy, healthy kiddos.
Besides a good daily routine & eating well, adding in supplements is how we make sure they are getting as many nutrients and vitamins as possible.
Every day, we give them Super C Chewables (vitamin c), Mightyvites (a multivitamin), Elderberry gummies, Mightypro (a prebiotic and probiotic supplement), and Ningxia (an antioxidant drink). This has been HUGE for their overall wellness. Consistent use of all of these has been such a great gift.
Changing our diet.
I’ve already talked a ton about how we’ve changed our diet to a ketogenic lifestyle, and that in turn has helped our kids. We’re not super strict with the no sugar on them as we are for ourselves, but when they get home from school, they eat what we eat at dinner time, which has resulted into more veggies and way less sugar.
We really try and limit the kids’ sugar as much as possible after 5 pm. If we notice they might be coming down with something, i.e. a runny nose, we try and limit as much sugar as we can at all times and double up with veggies instead.
Using essential oils & natural remedies.
We run to natural remedies first. Immunity, sleep, skin, muscles, emotions–there’s an oil for that!
Here are some of my favorite oily solutions.
Here’s a peek at what is always in my purse. Premade rollers, DIY rollers, and all the Thieves.
Wellness Roller
First and foremost, we love using Thieves essential oil to help boost immunity!
Wellness rollers are a great way to stay on top of your kiddos health. A good combination is 2-5 drops Thieves (dilute depending on your kiddos age) + 5-10 drops Frankincense + 5 drops Lemon + 5 drops Lavender + 3 drops Oregano, topped with your favorite carrier oil and rolled down their spine on on the bottom of their feet every morning & night.
KidScents
Want an easy button when it comes to oils & kids? Use the Kidscents line from Young Living. These oils are pre-diluted, ready to go for ages 2 and up. I even like using them on myself. ;) The name on each oil gives a pretty good indicator of what each one does.
Geneyus :: For focus support containing Sacred Frankincense, Melissa, and Myrrh. Roll behind the ears and on the neck. This is the perfect oil to roll before school or during school.
Owie :: Great skin support for banged up knees or minor scrapes and rashes. The perfect blend with oils like Elemi & Tea Tree.
Tummygize :: One of my favorites! When there is a rumbly in the tumbly, this is what I like to use when one of my kids needs some extra tummy help. Smells like Spearmint & Peppermint!
Snifflease :: A great blend for the sniffles! A blend of Eucalyptus Blue, Lavender, Peppermint, Ravintsara, Palo Santo, and Cypress. Perfect for the diffuser or rolled onto the chest.
Sleepyize :: Perfect for those sleepytime vibes. Lavender & Valerian for the win!
Seedlings Calm :: The perfect blend of Lavender, Coriander, Bergamot, Ylang Ylang, and Geranium to help babes unwind. This soothing, gentle blend is formulated with the littlest members of your family in mind.
A Restful Night’s Sleep
Sleep is so important, so we love diffusing to help everyone in our family. Having a consistent nighttime routine, going to bed early (overtired kiddos have a much harder time falling asleep) and finding the right diffuser blend to set the tone with a calming atmosphere can all be great ways to get those ZZZs. A few of our favorites include Orange, Dream Catcher, Peace & Calming, Gentle Baby, Stress Away, White Angelica, Dream Catcher & SleepyIze. I always like to throw a little Frankincense in there too, just for good measure!
Bath Time Magic
Never underestimate the power of a good bath when little ones are under the weather. Lavender Bath Bomb or a few drops in the tub, KidScents Bath Gel or the Bath & Shower Gel Base with a few drops of Frankincense, Lemon & Stress Away in the diffuser, a cold cloth on their forehead with a drop or two of Lavender & a rub down with Seedlings Baby Oil afterward is straight up MAGIC.
Diaper Time
Have a baby still in diapers? These are my go-tos! Using a gentle baby wipe like our Seedlings Baby wipes are the best. For the random diaper rash, I love the Seedlings Diaper Rash Cream.
Need a spray? Try the LavaDerm Cooling Mist! It helps so much on sensitive skin, along with KidScents Lotion and a roll or two of our Owies roller.
DIY Skin Support Roller
Need extra skin support? Try a few drops each of Lavender + Frankincense + Copaiba. It is such a skin soother!
School Hair, Don’t Care
If you have kiddos in preschool or elementary, you may be aware of the very unwelcomed hair critters that get passed around. A super simple hack: add 20 drops of peppermint to Mirah hair oil, apply a small dropper to your hand and rub over hair after putting in braids or a tight top knot!
If your little lady is tender headed, make this DIY hair detangler asap!
+ add 1/4 cup YL conditioner into a 12oz spray bottle
+ fill rest of bottle with hot (not boiling) distilled water and shake
+ add 3 drops Lavender, 3 drops Rosemary, 3 drops Cedarwood, and 3 drops Tea Tree essential oil
+ shake again, and use by spraying on dry or damp hair
Cool Down
Cool down with a few drops of Lavender in the bath or on a cool towel to put on forehead or back of neck. Rub a drop of Frankincense down the spine & give lots of extra snuggles.
Ear Support
When your little ones are congested, it tends to go straight to their ears! A great way to support the ears is by putting a few drops of Purification on a cotton ball, run it down the front and back of ears, along the neck in a downward motion. Essentially pulling away from the ear. Never put oils inside the ear. Repeat this every 20-30 minutes.
You can also make a roller with 10 drops Purification + 5 drops Lemon + topped with a carrier oil to roll down behind the ears.
Breathe
Make a chest rub to support the respiratory system. For ages 2+, add two drops of RC and two drops of Lemon to 2 tbsp. of coconut oil and apply to chest, back and neck to help chests & noses & throats.
Diffuse
Relax little bodies with SleepyIze or Gentle Baby in the diffuser for a good night’s rest. Rub Seedlings calming baby oil on back, chest or feet. Little bodies need lots of sleep when they are feeling run down!
For Babies
To help even the littlest of babies relax, apply a drop of Gentle Baby to blankets or bed sheets. Put a drop on your hands & rub on bottoms of babies feet or diffuse! Be amazed.
For Big Emotions
Our littles are notorious for tantrums and fear. Help them ease their little bodies with big emotions by practicing deep breathes and breathing in these two blends. Valor for courage, and Peace & Calming for tantrum taming.
The Unicorn Roller
Let’s talk about what we like to call our Magical Blue Unicorn Roller! This is for all the scared of the dark, don’t want to go to school, hate flying, hate crowds, can’t stop worrying about all the things type of feelings!
10 drops each of Valor, Bergamot, Frankincense & Stress Away; top with your favorite carrier oil and roll on wrists or over heart and inhale deeply. My number one roller of all time.
