Being a Prepared and Informed Parent + Building Your Toolkit
Setting Yourself Up for Success
What is a warrior, without an armory? To be a prepared and informed warriors, we must first fill our armory - our built-up supply of defense tactics, tools, or “weapons” at the ready for potential threats. It may not even be something you need immediately, but to have knowledge of it existence and function might serve you down the road. And, if we want our kids to have all the tools and options available, then we sometimes have to look beyond the basics of nutrition, supplements, and lifestyle. There are also many detox therapies and electrical devices that can boost our kids healing or offer options that are difficult to source , or would take a long time to achieve the same results from in the natural world.
Sensory Objects and Tools
First, let’s chat about the power of sensory objects. There are a lot of sensitive opinions on the topic of sensory objects. But I believe, if our job as parents is to understand who our kids are, what their superpower is, and how we can best support them- then these can be powerful tools . While there are a lot of great sensory objects out there some of our favorite are:
*(Note: Preferences might differ with age etc.)
Older Kids:
1.) Wiggle Seat: This can help with wiggly bodies and restlessness. It also supports a healthy posture and body structure.
2.) Thick bands to put on the bottom of chair or desk.
3.) Weighted Blanket - My all-time favorite, because it helps with sleep so much. Weighted blankets also help calm down the nervous system. You can get weighted lap blankets, as well, for travel. I have seen moms who have made weighted snakes that their children will take places, almost like a stuffed animal or security blanket. It can lay in their lap or around their shoulders.
4.) Unfrozen ice pack or putty- This is a great option to keep hands moving and busy, and feels like play to kids of all ages.
5.) Dry brushing- Ok, so this my second all-time favorite. Often when kids’ nervous systems are out of balance, or with those that struggle with processing information, they can have a hard time knowing where they end and where others begin. These kids are always touching everything and everyone. And it may not always look like cuddles, but can also be running their bodies into others and getting into others’ space because they are not sure where their’s ends. Dry brushing communicates to the body and nerve endings to feel and know where they end. I have also seen this to be helpful when kids have retained primitive reflexes.
Therapies and Tools to Consider
1.) Epsom salt baths are often the easiest! Do not underestimate their power just because of their simplicity. In a study done in the autism community, the kids were given only a few, minimal changes to diet and lifestyle. There were improvements in the children’s behavior and overall health, and after the study was complete, many of the parents agreed that the Epsom salts baths not only made a difference, but also was one of the easiest things to do. The body is absorbing both magnesium and sulfur through the Epsom salt. So many of our kids are deficient in magnesium, and we need proper sulfation to happen in order for certain methylation processes to happen. Many people are deficient in this, also. Additionally, the warm baths helps kids sweat, and sweating is an important detox pathway.
*Side note of caution: the heat can sometimes leave kids in a state of stress and can spike blood sugar and, in some cases, stress adrenals. Having a little sugar free cherry juice or orange juice, a TB of full fat coconut milk and a dash or two of a healthy salt sipped on during or after bath can be helpful in keeping those kiddos balanced. Some water with salt is also a great option.
**Additionally, having kids drink a glass of water with some sea salt in it is a great habit to build after any event where they are sweating. This can be difficult to remember, however, in the bath or pool where often parents do not realize their child has been sweating.
2.) Essential Oils are an amazing way to get back to nature. And recently, it seems like the gateway into holistic health ☺ Many kids, having neurological reactions to synthetic fragrance, will seek out essential oils for aromatherapy. Not to mention, the use of essential oils can help with the “ditch and switch” of synthetic fragrances so we can be avoiding the use of these in home and body care altogether.
*Diffusing the oils or putting them on the bottom of the feet is best, followed by the back and chest. Remember, they are potent. Your child may not be able to handle them directly on their skin. If putting on the skin, the dilution needs to be at least 1% for older kids/teens and 2% for younger children. To avoid skin contact or reaction, you can also get a diffuser necklace. With essential oils you are often getting a part of the plant that you would not typically consume. For instance, an orange peel. Kids are not encouraged to ingest oils, for this reason, and are only to use topically or aromatically. Be mindful of reactions, and use “low and slow” as your guide for application or usage.
*Some essential oils can have a negative or excitatory response in kids. Pay close attention to any behavioral reactions. Using a “smell test” can be a helpful guide. If you are unsure what oil to use, ask kids to smell and tell you which one they would like for the day. They are often very intuitive to their own needs and can identify which oil has a positive effect on their body.
*Next, be aware of phenols. A lot of kids react to phenol food groups, and oils would be no different. If it’s in the phenol group and your kids react to phenol foods, avoid the oil. Some examples are, clove, thyme, basil and oregano. Here is a complete list of common phenols: https://www.peirsoncenter.com/articles/phenols-helpful-or-harmful
Lavender is great for calming the brain, but can also have a negative effect on short-term memory. Parents who have hyper kids sometimes send their kids with a calming blend to school or other places that short-term memory work is critical . These calming blends often have lavender, so just be mindful of the timing of their use.
And one of the most impactful, but rarely mentioned, aspects to essential oils is the increased touch factor. When a child is sick, and mom or dad sits and rubs their feet, dropping on some essential oils, there is so much more that is being done than just oil. Prayer, touch, and slowing down all help boost your child’s health. With essential oils, these things seem to be more present. There is a sense of belonging around essential oils. It stimulates our sense of smell. Done out of love, and being cared for, oils not only help the body, but they also stimulate that part of our brain where smell happens and we store memories of those emotions. Powerful stuff!
Some of the best oils for anxiety with little reactions are citrus: Petitgrain, Neroli and Bergamot.
Some of the best oils for ADHD are: Neroli, Bergamot, Spanish Sage, Australian Pine and Black Pine.
Recommendations: Dr Eric Zielinski has great information on essential oils.
3.) Topical Health Creams are another application with the “touch factor” as an added component. One of the best health creams out there is Lymph Flo Cream. Putting it on the neck lymph and massaging onto the neck can help the brain drain properly and rids brain fog in many kids. Add this to Dr. Klinghardt’s manual brain/liver pump, and it can easily become a beneficial nighttime routine for the whole family.
And for kids who do not like baths, Epsom salt cream works fantastic. Remember this is not just magnesium, you want the sulfur component also.
4.) Red light – Therasage Tri-light & GembaRed are great options for kids!
5.) Castor Oil Pack – https://www.shopqueenofthethrones.com/pages/can-kids-wear-castor-oil-packs-yes-discover-all-the-ways-they-can-help-your-child-thrive
6.) Sauna – Yes, kids need to sweat, too! Just use a bit more caution with a child in a sauna. Therasage sauna, or something similar, is best. If kids can keep their head out of the sauna, then they are less likely to overheat. We take sweating for granted, but kids can have major trouble sweating. This is often a sign that their mitochondria is in dysfunction, or their drainage pathways are not open. Sauna can be a great way to slowly get their body to start turning that mechanism on. Slow and steady. They do not need to have a huge sweat session. For most kids the minute they start to sweat that is sufficient. Kids who cannot sweat: 10 minutes, at the most, at a low temperature, and almost all kids do not need to exceed 15 minutes. Just like with the Epsom salt baths, having liquid and electrolytes its important. Keeping them properly hydrated is key to the best kind of gentle detox. Plus, it helps flush out any toxins they might have stirred up. Red light, as well as red light saunas, with the near and far infrared, will also give the body energy. In a world that is stealing electrons due to that electromagnetic field everywhere, not to mention stress, bad food, and toxins, the body is consistently depleted of cellular energy. These therapies can help give back, in much the same way walking barefoot on the ground does. That grounding effect happens in therapies which offer a similar frequency.
7.) Microcurrent is another way to get energy into the body. It is also a great way to reset the nervous system, get hips back into alignment, and helps with pain management. Kids tend to love this. I have seen kids bouncing off the walls calm down in minutes. When hips are in alignment lymph flows better and the nervous system functions better. Kids can get stuck in cell danger response, and this stimulation of the vagus nerve can help bring back into balance their nervous system, thus helping them to get out of cell danger response and enter into rest.
https://thesanashop.com/collections/microcurrent-therapy
8.) PEMF uses magnetic field as a way to exercise cells. As the cells open up, they allow the cell to push out toxic waste while letting in good nutrients. The body is incredibly energetic. The way we function and heal depends on our ability to hold an electrical charge. Even within our body, the fourth phase of water (the gelatinous gel that consists within our lymphatic system) is highly charged. When the body’s overall voltage is low, it then tries to pull energy from outside sources. Kids that tend to be highly sensitive to man-made EMFs, often have lower overall voltage. If we can give them voltage through different avenues, such as supplements that are very energetic, sunshine, grounding, Red light, microcurrent and PEMF, we can build up a charge and heal better.
9.) Additional therapy options to be aware of are: Hyperbaric Chambers, LiveO2 (oxygen therapy), Vision Therapy (find a therapist close to you - covd.org), Brain Balance, Brain Paint or other bio-feedback therapy, Chiropractic Care and Acupuncture
Disclaimer: The following information is not intended to be, nor should they be construed as a claim or representation of medical diagnosis or treatment. It is for informational purposes only.