10 (sneaky) ways to get essential oils in resistant kids (big ones, too!)
Star Anise
A common complaint I hear from fellow mums (and one that I am personally experiencing in my home at the moment) is that kids (esp teens!) are not as embracing or enthusiastic of our beloved essential oils as we are and in fact might be completely resisting them. The job of a teen is to resist the parent (esp the mum) in order to individuate. Whether its nutrient-dense food, exercise, sunshine, oils, minimal screen time, drinking lots of filtered water or whatever we feel passionate about - it appears our teens can push back with a vengeance. We say something is black and they will insist its white. Because that’s their job – to push back. This can be incredibly frustrating for us well-meaning mums but I think back to when I was a teen and I did exactly the same thing! I resisted Greek orthodox religion, Greek culture, Greek food and being the “good Greek girl” that my mum (bless her cotton socks) felt so passionately about. It wasn’t until I became an adult and found who I truly was and wasn’t that I could embrace - and not push away - this aspect of myself and my culture.
Now we all know the vast and profound benefits of the YL essential oils – physically, emotionally and spiritually. They are in a word game-changing and life saving. I do not know how I would have survived the tumultuous events of past three weeks of a personal tragedy in our family without them. So, just like everything that is nourishing and beneficial, naturally we want our kids to use and embrace the oils, too. As the saying goes “there’s an oil for that!”. But what if when you suggest the oils they roll their eyes in the exact fashion of Princess Bitchface and Prince Boofhead (in the classic must-read books authored by Michael Carr-Gregg and Elly Robinson)? One thing I do know is that the more I push, the more resistance I get. So instead, I lead by example and trust that down the track when they feel pulled of their own volition they will gravitate to what they know is good for them.
Here are some ways that my kids (esp my 16-year-old son) gets the benefit of the oils without directly applying them:
1. Diffuse oils all through the house
I own nine diffusers and have a diffuser going in every room of my house 24/7. If you can diffuse oils in the kids’ bedrooms that is an extra bonus. Fortunately my kids allow me do that. Inhaling essential oils alone is of massive benefit for humans. Essential oils have been scientifically proven to:
increase concentration, mental clarity and memory recall
boost immunity
reduce stress hormones by reducing salivary cortisol levels and pulse rates
In addition, from an energetic point of view, we know that the YL oils - because of the way that they are made and divinely intuited - carry a high vibrational frequency and hence raise our own vibrational frequency. The higher our frequency the healthier we are and the stronger we are emotionally, physically and spiritually. Even if your kids don’t like oils diffused while they are in their rooms, you may get away with diffusing in their rooms while they are at school and their room will carry that frequency.
Also, if you apply oils topically on yourself (I feel like a drown myself in them every morning!) you become a walking diffuser and your kids get the benefit of it.
2. Add to the laundry
Add a few drops of essential oils to the kids clothes and linen directly in the washing machine and/or in the dryer. Not only does this make your clothes smell insanely delicious, the aroma lingers and permeates into the kids when they wear the clothes or come into contact with the linen. Use any oils you like but I gravitate to Pine, Lavender, Purification, Thieves and Lemon. I keep a stash them near my Young Living laundry liquid. One mum has told me that this is how she uses us any oils that she is not particularly fond of that she won’t otherwise use.
3. Add 1-2 drops on their pillowcases or bedsheets
In this way they will be inhaling the oils all night. Obviously use oils that they wouldn’t find the smell offensive or that won't stain the bed sheets (for example, avoid blue tansy!).
4. Add 1-2 drops in their school shoes
The oils will then go up through their system.
5. Add one or two drop to the back of the collar of their school shirt
The oils will then go into the back of their neck. I remember the story of one lady whose husband detested the oils so she started putting a drop of YL Joy in his undies. A couple weeks later he fell in love with the oils and started using them. Sweet!
6. Add oils into food and drinks
My kids have got wise about this so I need to be super ninja-like in my approach. Copaiba has little taste and is high anti-inflammatory. You can add extra oils into their Ningxia Red (which already is infused with oils if they agree to drink it) or make an oil-infused mocktail (Ningxia, kombucha, sparkling mineral water, ice, lime oil and tangerine oil is my fav). Here are some ways I sneak them in:
cinnamon bark and nutmeg oils to creamy rice porridges or banana bread or smoothies
lemon oil in lemon custard tartlets
lime oil in guacamole
cardamon oil in veggie packed fried rice
add peppermint or orange oils into cakes, pannacottas, raw dark chocolate, bliss balls or other treats.
For more ideas, also check out the culinary oils section of the EO 101 Guide found in the Member Resources page of my website which you all have access. If you don’t have the password please ask your support person or email me.
7. Add into shampoo. conditioner and body washes
YL’s toxic-free range of personal-care products already come infused with essential oils but you can fortify them with extra oils. Eg Rosemary in shampoo, Lavender in body washes, Copaiba in conditioner. Teens might also be open to using the shower steamers or the bath bombs.
8. Add into baths
While the water is running I sometime manage to dump in some Epsom salts (great for detoxification and for muscles) and some essential oils. I can’t add too much as I’ll get found out (!!) but a couple drops of Franky, Lavender and Stress Away seems to do the trick. I also have the diffuser going in the bathroom, too, so one could be mistaken that the smell is coming from the diffuser ;-)
9. Add to carrier oil for massage
If you kids are open to massage either by yourself or a professional you could pop some essential oils (eg Lavender oil) into the carrier oil (e.g. olive oil or YL’s V6 massage oil). I sometimes give my daughter a hot neck compress by wetting a flannel into a bowl of water water and adding calming/relaxing oils into the bowl, wetting the flannel, wringing it out and apply into her tight neck and jaw.
