The start of a new school year is an exciting time for kids and families. New milestones for little ones, the feeling of a fresh start, opportunity for growth and the return of routine to daily life. While I know families love this time of year, I also know that with it can come daily challenges brought on by so much change all at once. Kids have to shift their energy from summertime free play to regimented learning and focus. Parents have to make sure everything is ready for morning breakfasts, school lunches and family dinners. The stress of homework, social events, sports and general daily life can become overwhelming. Kids are exposed to more people, which means more potential for illness and feeling run-down. Many of these back-to-school challenges can create opportunities to embrace self-care and utilize at-home remedies to assist with getting through each day.
This is why, along with buying school supplies, new school clothes and goodies for lunches, you will also want to make sure your essential oil selection is replenished. doTERRA offers so many oils that help support a child’s health and wellness during the school year. In an earlier post, I introduced the Owie Spray, which we use constantly in the summer. By the time school starts, I often find myself needing to make a new batch of Owie Spray to keep up with my 3 active boys during the school year. If your kids play a lot of sports or get a lot of owies, check out my Owie Spray blog post to get the recipe and have this helpful blend on-hand whenever you need it.
My boys are ages 8, 5 and 2 and since we have become a traveling RV family, instead of going to a traditional school, all of my boys attend what we call “Road School”. My husband and I teach them the same things they would learn in a typical school setting, while having added experiences through life on the road. Even though they are not attending a public school system, they still experience a lot of the same daily challenges that other kiddos in school face. That’s why I like to be sure I go into each new school year with my kids oils stocked and ready to use as needed.
The Kids Oil Collection from doTERRA is a back-to-school must have for addressing all kinds of challenges that kids face during the year. The kit includes six 10mL roll-on blends that are specifically designed for developing minds, bodies and emotions. The blends are: Thinker, Calmer, Stronger, Rescuer, Steady and Brave – each uniquely formulated to address specific needs that your child may have at different times throughout the year. The kit comes with brightly-colored instructional flashcards to get your kids interested in how to use the oils. I like that the collection is not only geared towards kids in the oils that each blend contains along with Fractionated Coconut oil for sensitive skin, but also in the bright colors, easy roll-on application and fun carrying case, to get kids interested in their own health and wellness. Even though these oils are geared towards kids, they are ideal for everyone and can be used when anyone in the family could use a little extra support.
Thinker blend is often referred to as doTERRA’s “focus blend” for its ability to help support the mind and enhance the experience of learning. This blend we apply to the boys about 30 minutes before they begin their school work. It’s a great blend to use when there are a lot of distractions around and you or your child needs to pay attention and concentrate. It helps to create a sense of clarity and alertness to help get work done or focus on the task at hand. If your children attend school outside the home, this would be an oil to apply just before they walk out the door. In today’s world, with attention spans dwindling, this is a great oil to help increase concentration, allowing you or your child to really delve into the process of learning.
Calmer is known as the “restful blend” and is very helpful for children who have a hard time sitting still during class hours. We also find it beneficial at bedtime to settle the kids’ bodies and minds for a restful night of sleep. We love to use either Calmer, Balance or Peace at night for relaxation time. Calmer helps to promote feelings of relaxation and is a great nightly ritual if you have kiddos that have difficulty at bedtime. I recommend rolling it on the bottoms of the feet and the back of the neck just before bed. We even love to roll it on the kids’ pillows so they can inhale it as they lay their heads down at night. You can also use Calmer during times of stress to promote feelings of relaxation. Simply roll it onto your wrists, inhale and focus on relaxing. In a pinch we have used it to relieve the itch of a bug bite too!
Stronger is a “protective blend” that helps to promote feelings of wellness and resiliency. This is a wonderful blend to use daily to support our children’s immune system before and after school or when they’re around a crowd of people. We also love to roll this oil along the spine, every few hours, anytime our children are not feeling their best, as you can also use Stronger to help support both skin and mood. If your child is feeling discouraged or emotional, roll this oil over their heart and into their hands and have them inhale. Stronger is great to roll around owies on the skin to promote healing. If you don’t have a homemade Owie Spray on hand, Stronger is a great alternative to help soothe distressed skin. 
Rescuer blend in the Kids Collection is great for active, growing bodies. It has a calming scent that soothes the body and can help to comfort emotions. Rescuer reduces feelings of tension in tired, growing legs and bodies. We have also found it beneficial for teething babies when rolled along their jaw line. After sports or other physical activity, roll Rescuer along areas on the body that may be sore including legs, arms and shoulders. You can also massage Rescuer into areas that need extra attention for maximum relief including head tension or sore, tired feet.
Steady is known as the “grounding blend” and helps to soothe feelings of anxiousness or stress that can arise during a busy day. Steady helps to reduce occasional anxiousness while helping to manage feelings of stress. I like to use Steady on my boys when they are feeling overwhelmed. I notice when they are overwhelmed it often triggers what most refer to as a ‘temper tantrum’ or excessive crying and frustration. However, I realize this is their response to being overwhelmed. Speaking calmly, applying Steady to their body and removing them from the area helps bring a feeling of calm and reassurance. You can roll it on the back of the neck, spine, feet, temples, wrists or just inhale its fruity aroma, to help find balance.
Brave is a unique oil blend and is referred to as the “courage blend”. Brave helps to reduce stressful and anxious feelings and create a sense of empowerment. When your child has to face a new, uncomfortable situation, you can rub Brave on the back of the neck or spine, bottoms of the feet, or in the palms of the hands to inhale and promote courage and confidence. This is a great blend for those first day of school jitters, not just for your kiddos, but for you too! Brave helps promote a calm environment so you can tackle all of the tasks of the day with a positive outlook.
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Going back to school can be both exciting and stressful. As both a mother and a teacher to my boys, I always make sure to have tools, like these essential oil blends, on-hand to help me and the boys make the most of each school day. If you have tried any of the oils in the Kids Collection, let me know how you use them and in what situations. I love to hear what other parents are doing to help support their kids during this transitional time.
You’ll find more information about the Kids Collection here.
