If you are like I was just over a month ago you might be thinking “Here goes another mom trying another fad… blah, blah, blah.”

I get it. The popularity of essential oils does seem to have sprung up fast. It seems like just a fad. The people talking about them are either moms who are looking for relief from kids germs and illness, and possibly fooling themselves into thinking oils are helping when it’s probably a placebo affect, or crunchy organic mommy’s and hipsters…. or at least that was what I thought. And really that was my experience.

I’m on a few different parenting forums on Facebook where mostly moms talk and ask for advice and opinions on all things kid related. Other moms experiences can be so helpful sometimes! More than a few months ago the topic of essential oils started popping up. Mommies were giving each other advice on how to use EO’s on their kids to cure ailments like fevers, sleeplessness, congestion, flu, etc… Honestly, it scared me. Some were advising each other to let their kids ingest EO’s for different reasons and they were doing it! Some of these oils are known to be unsafe for kids and yet they were advising each other that because they “have used it on their kids and they were fine” it was ok for everyone. I was, and maybe still am, convinced someone would get hurt. Parents should do their own research from reputable sources on how to use an EO and this does not always happen.

I’m not saying EO’s are necessarily unsafe. I’m saying we need to be smart in how we use them. If we have a safe way to become healthier people without the use of synthetic medicine we would want that, right? But, like with pharmaceutical medicine we read the warning pamphlets and double check the proper doses thru the proper methods. EO warnings are not nearly as long as pharmaceuticals by the way.

I have been using essential oils to make my own cleaning products for a few years now. It is a simple way to eliminate some of the extra chemicals that we don’t need in our homes. Talk to me about how they could cure a cold though and I figured you were out to lunch. That was the approach that was first given to me about using EO’s for my family.

If I used EO’s my family would never get sick again! … or so it seemed from the current mommy peddler.

Soon after, a close friend of mine, whom I respect greatly as a professional and as a friend, started talking about them. She did start with all the physical health benefits with me. I not so secretly rolled my eyes and bluntly politely told her thanks but no thanks. Then she started using them in her profession as a couples and family therapist. Her approach changed slightly and she started talking about the mental health benefits more. Now she was getting through to me…

I started listening, doing more research and asking questions. Everyone in my family has varying degrees of anxiety and depression (who doesn’t) so I thought it would be worth a try. Pharmaceuticals for mental health tend to be so numbing and disconnect our brains from our bodies and emotions. If the oils proved their worth then I might be okay with trying them for our physical health too.

My husband took some extra convincing. He was VERY opposed to them and thought at best they only had a placebo affect. After some talking from myself and my friend he did concede to us getting a roller ball for Sofie. She had been having some major behaviour issues beyond the regular symptoms of her trauma, adoption and Down Syndrome. Jon figured if anyone was going to benefit it would be her since she is more sensitive to sensory input. I think he also knew she wouldn’t be able to benefit from a placebo affect and if it didn’t work I’d have to stop wondering.

Well…. IT DID WORK! Sofie is now a much happier, calmer, aware, in tune, and communicative version of herself and continuing to develop in leaps and bounds!

We saw a change in her on day one when she schooled me at her hearing appointment. The therapists brought out a test that I had told them many times that she couldn’t do, but they always insist on trying it. Well, Sofie did  it… like made me look like an idiot did it. The following weeks she has continued to amaze us. She started feeding herself breakfast, something she hasn’t done in years. Her communication has sky rocketed and she is now using 3-4 word sentences consistently. She is problem solving. Instead of fighting over a chair with her sister the other day, she went and got another one for herself. She is taking direction, helping with chores, being gentle, and thinking more before acting. Her body is calmer and more connected.

My heart is just so happy for Sofie. She must have been feeling so muddled up before. She even used her new problem solving abilities the other day and asked for her roller when she was feeling grumpy. She is recognizing that her roller helps her to feel and think better!

Since seeing such drastic change in Sofie I start trying things for my whole family. We got a personalized roller for Jon to take to work to help him remain balanced and thinking clearly at his very stressful job. He willingly uses it on a regular basis even though his co-workers call him a hippie…which he is very much not. Livi and Evelyn share a mood balancing roller which helps Livi’s anxiety a lot. I still need to personalize one for Evelyn I think. I’ve been using a Balance blend for myself as well. My mom has been very happy with the quality of her sleep and has been diffusing lavender at night. My sister with Alzheimer’s has even been showing less symptoms, so much so that her respite care provider asked if she had a med change!

I haven’t jumped in for all the physical health benefits yet but I have started playing with them. Livi had a weird virus that had symptoms of an ear infection, among other things. I put OnGaurd and Oregano with some coconut oil on her feet and Melaleuca and Lavender diluted on a cotton ball on the outside of her ear. Her ear pain was gone in 10 minutes and her sickness only lasted 2-3 days, where it lasted nearly a week for her little sister a month earlier. This could be explained by a few things but it definitely has me wondering!

I’ll do another post with about our current favourite oils that are working for us and explain a bit more details or what we are actually doing but I thought I’d start with my journey 🙂 I’m learning lots right now and am amazed by all the research and benefits that is actually behind this stuff!

If you think I’m totally out to lunch, that’s ok too! I get it! But if there is something in the back of your mind that has you wondering what all the hype is about, come and ask me some questions. I can give you some samples to try too!