As I’m sure other parents can attest, our children are always watching. They soak up our home environments and model our routines, sometimes before we even realize and try to include them.

In my home, my daughter sees me use essential oils for everything. As my perfume, in our diffusers, and (whether she realizes it or not) in our cleaning products). The great thing about essential oils is that they are natural, and when used correctly, safe and beneficial for young children too! She loves to help fill our diffusers throughout the day, and today I’ll share a few other ways we integrate essential oils into her daily routines.

“Sharing“ is the pivotal word here. Just like they are always watching us, they are constantly wanting to share whatever we are eating or drinking. Since I drink NingXia Red daily, it was easy enough to introduce it, but the flavor is pretty kid friendly too. I usually mix mine with sparkling water, and Clarice especially loves when we mix it with pineapple or orange juice. Or, if I’m making her some strawberry lemonade I’ll top it with NingXia.

We use the Thieves Home Collection to clean our home and one of the best features is that the Household Cleaner (and all the products) are non-toxic. That means that I don’t have to worry if I'm cleaning and she is right underfoot. She can even help in the process and recently I made her a plastic spray bottle to clean her play kitchen “by herself“. We also use the Fruit and Veggie wash to clean our fresh produce and I never leave home during the summer months without a bottle of the Fruit & Veggie Spray. It’s so convenient to be able to throw an apple or peach in my pool bag for later or pick up a snack while at the Farmer’s Market, knowing I’ll still be able to thoroughly clean it for her (and myself!).

There are also some wonderful DIY recipes that you can try for your kids. I love mixing a few for a non-toxic Bug Spray. The Young Living blog The Lavender Life is a resource I turn to often for these types of projects.

Young Living also has a special line called KidScents specifically formulated for children. Each product contains the effective ingredients that their growing bodies need, and they are pre-diluted so that there is no question about how to safely dilute the powerful essential oils. The KidScents roll-ons are actually some of my most reached-for oils.

I apply Sleepyize (Lavender, Geranium, Roman chamomile, Tangerine, Bergamot, Sacred Frankincense, Valerian, and Rue) daily for sleep support, I like to massage it into my shoulders and I massage it into the soles of my 2-year-olds’ feet.

Tummygize is another amazing oil blend to use when your little one has any stomach discomfort. The comforting aroma is a combination of ginger, tangerine, fennel, peppermint, and anise. I massage a few drops into her belly, left to right, supporting the direction of the intestines. For nausea, I rub some into my palms and have her take a deep whiff.

I use Kidpower (Vanilla oleoresin extract, Orange, Black spruce, Camphor, Blue tansy, Frankincense, and Geranium) as an everyday fragrance on my wrists. Kidpower is a blend that Young Living formulated to help inspire feelings of confidence, courage, and positivity. And it just smells so good!

I also wanted to include this graphic showing some safety information. Obviously, kids need less of an essential oil for it to be effective, and using the same ratio of dilution can actually have adverse effects.

Now, I AM NOT AN AROMATHERAPIST, but through my own research, it seems that the generally accepted dilution ratios are 3% for adults and 1% for kids over 2. That means that for every 1 ounce of carrier, an adult needs 15 drops of essential oil and a child would need 5 drops.

ADULT DILUTION: 1 oz- 15-18 drops

CHILD DILUTION: 1oz- 5-6 drops

I only use the Young Living KidScents line of roll-ons on my daughter, and even with those I usually only rub them into the soles of her feet. I have made many DIY recipes for use on myself but I just trust that the pre-made product will be correctly diluted. I will occasionally rub some Tummygize into her belly if she has a stomach bug or diarrhea, and I have rubbed the Thieves roll-on blend into the soles of her feet when she’s sick or some sickness is going around the family.

I know some people aren’t comfortable using essential oils for children under the age of 5. As with everything, it’s important to go with your gut and do what’s best for your child.

I hope these ideas can help jumpstart a journey to safely using essential oils for natural support with your own kids!