Did the school holidays fly by for you or did they drag on? Are your kids back at school? For many of us parents, having our kids back at school is both a sadness and a relief!
One of the questions parents often ask me is – how can you help your kids at school? It’s such a pity our children don’t come with a User Manual. How good would THAT be?? So, here are some tips based on what’s worked for us. But… like our kids, we’re still learning!
Big changes and Big emotions
Being back at school means your family, especially your little ones, are going to experience a lot of changes! Bedtime & morning routines, friends, lunches, new teachers … so many changes, so little time!! With all these changes, emotions can get a little crazy – both theirs and yours. I know I cried when both my girls started school. Part of that emotion for parents comes from worry. We want the best for our little darlings.
In the early years, we’re SO cautious about everything our kids come in contact with – especially when it’s your first. I remember back when I went to school that there was never any soap in the bathrooms. I’d spent years teaching my girls to wash their hands with soap… and now I was worried…what would they do?
Good habits start at home
How can we protect and keep our babies healthy when we’re not there to protect them? It all starts with building good and healthy habits at home. Things like encouraging them to wash their hands before meals and applying Thieves waterless hand purifier if there isn’t any soap. You can actually get 3 little bottles for free this month with a 190pv order. Best of all, they come with this cute animal holder that attaches to the outside of their school bags, so they can easily use their hand purifier when they need to. These are great if you have a few children. You can pop one on each of their school bags or even in their lunch boxes.
Healthy snacks and healthy breakfasts
Slique bars are a great addition to the school lunch boxes too – if your school isn’t a nut free zone. Many muesli bars are full of sugar and and can be high in salt. The Slique bars are a healthy snack that tastes delicious and they make a great after- school treat too. My girls love to snack on the Einkorn granola. You can give them a bowl of the Einkorn Flakes as a great healthy breakfast cereal. It fills them up and keeps them going for the morning. Yummy topped with fruit and yogurt.
It’s normally my younger daughter who starts to feel anxious before any big event like going back to school. However, this year it was my eldest who had butterflies in her tummy. She was being recognised as the President of her student representative council and had to go up on stage to receive her badge. I gave her the Valor rollon to take with her. She rolled it on her wrists and the back of her neck. The Peace and Calming or the Stress Away rollons are great for this too. And if you were like me and cried as you drove away from school on your child’s first day, then Stress Away will be your new friend too.
Sleep and School success
Do you know how much sleep children really need? It’s actually more than you probably think. Primary school-aged children need 10-11 hours each night and teenagers need about 9 hours!!
According to the National Sleep Foundation: If your child is having trouble in school, it may be time to look at your family’s sleep habits. To thrive academically, kids of all ages— preschool through university — need to have energy, the ability to focus, concentrate, retain information and be creative problem solvers. Success at school also requires kids to be able to control their impulses and manage emotions and behavior to keep on track. All of these skills depend heavily on our kids getting healthy, consistent sleep.
Chronic sleep deprivation in adolescents diminishes their ability to learn new information and can lead to emotional issues like depression and aggression. Researchers now see sleep problems as a cause, and not a side effect, of teenage depression. In one study by researchers at Columbia University, teens who went to bed at 10 p.m. or earlier were less likely to suffer from depression or suicidal thoughts than those who regularly stayed awake well after midnight.
Across all ages, signs of sleepiness turn up as behavioral and learning difficulties. Children who seem excessively sleepy during the day are more likely to experience problems with learning, attention, hyperactivity, and conduct than kids who aren’t sleepy. The lesson here is clear – we need to help our kids get good sleep and get enough sleep.
Some of my favourite essential oils to pop in the diffuser at bedtime are Lavender, Cedarwood and Orange, as well as Peace and Calming I & II. The new Feather the owl diffuser is a great addition to any child’s bedroom. It can even double as a night light if required. It also plays music or white noise for those children who need a little extra help to go to sleep. If you want some more ideas on helping to get your children to sleep, check out Sleep Baby Sleep.
Wake up and focus!
What about getting the kids motivated and ready for school in the morning? Morning Start Bath & Shower Gel will help them feel refreshed every day with the power of pure essential oils. Peppermint, Lemongrass, and Rosemary uplift and energise. Basil, Rosemary and Clarity are spicy, delightful essential oils that help you wake up, focus & concentrate.
The Kidscents range has been specifically developed by Young Living for children. All the essential oil blends in this range are pre-diluted. This means you don’t have to worry about mixing them up yourself and knowing what ratio to use. The Kidscents GeneYus blend is great for helping your child to focus in school. Simply encourage your child to roll some on their wrists and the back of their neck whenever they need to concentrate. It’s also great to put a drop on a diffuser bracelet or on cotton ball and put it in their school bag. They can pull it out when they need to take another whiff. It goes well in the diffuser too. And guess what? It’s free this month with a 250pv order.
Superfood for School
Then there are the awesome superpowers of Young Living’s NingXia Red. It can give kids an awesome energy boost and 60mls a day helps support their (and your!) overall wellness with powerful antioxidants. The little sample packets freeze really well and make a healthy after-school treat on a hot day.
Sun and sensitive skin
If you have littlies, then your childcare centre more than likely applies sunscreen to them a couple of times a day. Why not supply your own natural sunscreen for them to use on your child? The new Young Living Mineral Sunscreen Lotion is an SPF 50 broad-spectrum protection, lightweight mineral sunscreen. Try saying that 3 times fast! It protects your kids and you from UVA and UVB rays, without the inclusion of toxic chemicals.
Young Living definitely have your back to school needs covered this month. So, it’s a great time to stock up and take advantage of all the free products that are on offer.
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