By Katrina Scampini, Certified Aromatherapist
Now that the school year has finally started, many parents may be wondering what they can do to set their kids up for success. Whether they’re in first grade or twelveth, we want our children going into their classrooms happy, healthy, and ready to learn!
Sometimes, our children have struggles beyond their peers. Essential oils are great support for so many ailments we battle each day – from our mood to physical discomforts and everything in between! But did you know these amazing all-natural oils can also provide relief for symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder, or ADHD? If your child struggles with his or her ability to focus for required amounts of time, demonstrates consistent impulsive behavior, and has difficulty staying organized, essential oils may be wonderful support during school.
If you’re interested in learning more about essential oils and ADHD, check out this blog. It provides a more in-depth look at how essential oils can help and which specific oils are known to be most effective.
Here, we will discuss how to use these amazing essential oils in a way that is safe, practical, and effective for your child while they are in school.
1. Let Your Child Take Charge of Their Own Inhaler.
This is a perfect way to use an aromatherapy inhaler. It’s a small, convenient, and inexpensive way for your child to use aromatherapy as a tool to support their individual needs. First, decide on a single oil (such as: Chamomile Roman, Lavender, Vetiver, Cedarwood, and Frankincense) or blend of oils (create your own or use our A+ Attention) to use in your child’s inhaler.
If possible and based on their own abilities, have your child help you add the oils and assemble the inhaler. Including them in this process will help give your child a sense of ownership and responsibility for their new inhaler.
Together, practice using it correctly. Teach your child how to remove the outside sleeve of the inhaler and take a few slow, intentional breaths with the inhaler close to their nose. Then cap tightly to close.
Remind your child that their inhaler is a tool, not a toy. It is not meant to be played with or shared with anyone.
2. Bringing It Into the Classroom.
This is important. Just like most schools keep medications under lock and key, they may likely want to do the same thing with an aromatherapy inhaler. This is done for the safety of all the students so it would be very ill-advised to allow your child into a classroom with an inhaler without first consulting with the school’s administration.
Each school has their own protocol regarding this – your child’s school may want the inhaler to stay at the front office, with the school’s nurse, the resource or general teacher, the school counselor, etc.
It’s important to communicate to your child’s school about the purpose of their inhaler and what you hope it will accomplish. Educators, like parents, also want all their students to be successful and will likely appreciate your engagement with them about your particular child’s needs.
Actively involving the school’s staff and teaching your child to follow their rules is key to getting the most effective use out of their aromatherapy inhaler.
3. Stay Engaged.
Open up the lines of communication between yourself and child’s teacher(s). Talk with them regularly and ask questions often.
Is your child using the inhaler? How often? Is it making an observable difference in their behavior? Do they have regular access to their inhaler as needed? Are they taking advantage of using their inhaler as a way to avoid classwork (hopefully not!)? Are they using it at all? These are just some very valid questions to ask.
4. Every child and every situation is different!
Unfortunately, there is not a cut and dry answer to supporting behavioral issues that arise from diagnosed disorders or otherwise. It’s a learning process.
Stay engaged, willing to adapt, and open to communication from everyone involved! This will help support your child through the challenges they face in school so they can be happy, healthy, and ready to learn!
Try this KidSafe inhaler blend for increased focus:
Focus Inhaler Blend
What you’ll need:
- 3 drops Balsam Fir
- 2 drops Frankincense Carteri
- 2 drops Grapefruit Pink
- 1 drop Orange Sweet
To use, add essential oils to a personal aromatherapy inhaler and use as needed.
Is an inhaler made with pure oils? No carrier oil?
Yep! When you’re using a personal aromatherapy inhaler, there’s no need to dilute the oils in a carrier first.
Has anyone used oils for a child with DMDD- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder? Similiar to Bipolar
These are very helpful tips and recipes. I have one son that has a hard time settling enough to sit and do his work. We made him an inhaler to use right before we do school work with the A+ Attention from Plant Therapy. It really helps. 🙂
These are great tips! My daughter will love making her own inhaler.
I am excited to try this recipe with our son. Lavender and Cedarwood are too sedating for him so while A+ Attention is calming for him, it’s too calming and he still can’t focus! I also needed another use for my Grapefruit.
This year I started introducing my son to essential oils for school. He has a hard shelled case with PT vetiver, calming the child, A+. He loves using them, and has even introduced his friends to the oils. He’s in 1st grade.
This personal inhaler is a wonderful idea! When my youngest son was diagnosed with ADHD one of the things the doctor prescribed was rubbing anything with bergamot in it on his pulse points to aid him in his attention span issues in the evenings when his meds were wearing off.
Thats a great idea!!! My son has ADHD and school can be a struggle!
I cannot wait to try this Focus blend with my niece, who is best described as a tornado in the middle of a hurricane
I’m going to try this inhaler the next time we try playing a board game. My grandson seems to have trouble staying on task and sharing.
My son’s has A+ Attention in it. We just use it at home after breakfast, but it really seems to work. I’m excited to try this new recipe, too.
This sounds wonderful, but I don’t have Balsam Fir…is there another oil I could use to replace that?
You can sub that with another coniferous oil like Cypress or Pine Scots 🙂
Such a great idea!! I think I may need to go through the nurse so it isn’t misinterpreted as him “sniffing” something else.
We homeschool, but I think I’ll make one of these for my daughter to have at her workspace. Incidentally, this is really similar to her sleep blend. I find it weird, but apparently ADHD kids sleep better with stimulant oils – so she has grapefruit, frankincense, black pepper, and usually some sort of conifer. Always out like a light. Thank goodness for Lil’ Stinkers so she doesn’t keep her sister up all night with that blend!
Thank you so much for sharing that blend with us. It’s great to hear that it works well for your daughter and even better that she gets the benefits with the help of her Lil’ Stinker so as not to bother anyone else with the aroma 🙂
Was wondering if the A+ Attention can be used with Dexedrine (meds for ADHD). The meds ware off at the end of the day and sometimes doing homework is difficult. Do you think I could then use the A+ Attention?
Joanne, please email this information to our Certified Aromatherapists at [email protected] for more info
My niece loves her inhalers! We magne them together and she has become so very interested in them!
As a teacher of elementary aged children I love this idea! I think kids are too often medicated and not often enough introduced to more natural calming techniques. In my classroom I diffuse Calming the Child Synergy EVERY DAY! I would love for parents to take the initiative to send their children to school with these awesome inhalers!
These tips are great for my whole family. We all deal with problem focusing.
Ooh this recipe looks fabulous, I can’t wait to try it. My adhd has been harder to manage since starting back to grad school so I need all the help I can get!
We can’t wait for you to try it either!
My kiddo loves his inhaler with sniffle stopper while at school when he’s congested, but we’re definitely going to try A+ Attention soon!
My 14yo daughter has ADHD along with a few other mental disorders. She has a roll on of “liquid xanax” she takes with her to school along with a couple different inhalers for focus and fatigue. Her teacher asked her one day what she was wearing because it just smelled calming. My daughter told her what it was (we call it chill out…juat because i dont think liquid xanax would go over to well at school lol also the teacher knows we use aromatherapy) and said she’d love to have some for herself. That opened a gateway for my daughter to make her teacher gifts!
Thank you for sharing this with us! You’ll have to let us know what kind of gifts she ends up making
She made her a roller of chill out and also some vanilla lip balm so far
Those are excellent gifts! I’m sure she love them 🙂
Did you use the above recipe for the liquid Xanx ? If not, do you mind sharing your recipes. I work in a school for children with behaviors, we use a diffuser in our room. Thanks
What is in liquid Xanax?
The Liquid Xanax is a 50:50 ratio of Worry Free and Self Esteem 🙂
My son was recently diagnosed with ADHD. I have been using the A+ Attention in a roller, but it doesn’t seem to be working for my son. I would like to use an inhaler, but they are not allowed at the school at all. Any ideas??
Marie, i’m sorry to hear the roller doesn’t seem to be working for your son. Another way to use the oil would be on a lava bracelet.
Could be the lavender? My son has the opposite reaction to lavender so we can’t use a++
My son has has luck with a blend of lavender, veviter, cedarwood, and peppermint. We also use probiotic, multi vitamin, and fish oil
Thank you for the info. My son has ADHD and I have been wanting to try to make an inhaler and have everything already. I appreciate the info:)
Perfect! The inhaler would be a great choice for receiving the benefits at school!
I am a teacher and love love love using my oils at work!!! Inhalers are what I use during the school day so that I can still get the benefits without subjecting my students to the oils. I also send my 3rd grade daughter to school with inhalers and it is very important like in the article that you make sure your child’s teacher is aware!
Thanks for mentioning how teachers can use inhalers, too! My grown daughter was worried about scents bothering her students, but now I have an idea for her to use them without interfering with her students. Thanks for sharing!
Oh wow, I hadn’t considered making my son an inhaler to support his ADHD symptoms; thank you Plant Therapy!! I’ll try this- this week!
You’re welcome! We hope that works out well for him!