Almost 3 years ago I was drawn to a local ‘mood management’ class in an attempt to find a way to naturally support my little man. Back then I didn’t need a doctor or psychologist to tell me, I already knew. My son has Inattentive ADHD.

This past November it was confirmed and I literally broke down in tears.

Tears of happiness.

For years we were challenged, by the norm. I quite honestly focused too much on what “should” be happening or “stages” rather than focusing on my child as an individual. As a mother I felt compelled to do what I “should do” and not what I felt in my heart as right.

In grade 1 our son was told by his teacher and in front of the principal (at that time) that he isn’t smart, he doesn’t know how to do this and that and is just wasting her time.

I’ve unfortunately also witnessed the way some adults {with authority} speak to children with more sensitive needs… educators, coaches, police officers…

Our children are hearing all of this and it’s condemning to their success and future. What if this was your child?

What if instead of having this “perfect” image in our mind, we simple embraced every single child for who they are and what they have been brought into this world to do. 

It has taken years to rebuild his confidence and empower him that just because he learns ‘outside’ of this “box” that he IS smart. He was made to feel like he was stupid, he was singled out and he simply gave up and hated going to school. Do you know how this affects a child… we do and its very sad. He began pulling away, was not the happy go lucky kid we once knew, began getting in trouble at school and then we found out that he was being teased and bullied.

My childhood was what I would consider ‘normal’ when we were sick we went to the doctor, took prescriptions and medications etc. However something in my heart was leading me in another direction for my child.

Given his grade 1 year, this was tough. But we persevered. We followed all the recommended steps, going to the pediatrician, seeing a therapist and more recently a psychological assessment, after a long 3 year wait. Our son has Inattentive ADHD – I knew this year’s ago. What had me bawling like a baby in the meeting was when she said… The results also showed he IS a very smart boy. However he has a unique need for the way he learns. With a learning disability in combination with being inattentive ADHD it makes learning in a “typical” classroom much more challenging for him, especially for a sensitive child.

Truthfully leaving that meeting in November my husband and I both agreed that given the information, we both too would technically be diagnosed with ADHD as well.
So what does this mean for us? Almost 3 years ago I began my own research with essential oils and supporting emotional and brain health. Much of this was trial and error, reading the various properties of oils and which ones may benefit, various blends to try etc. This process for us wasn’t simple and everyday still we are learning. I was introducing a natural way to support our bodies – emotionally and physically, which prior to, was unheard of in our home, while trying to get a grasp on what was actually happening and most important how to support him!

What I have personally learned is this. Your heart will lead you to where you need to be. Sleep is SO incredibly important. Eating healthy real food is equally important. Best of all, if your child is open to learning,  go with it.

From the very get go our boy was intrigued with these oils. I first began my own journey with about 5 or 6 oils which looked like were ones we needed to start with for our own health goals. As I learned more, I added more to our oily tool box in ways that could also support him better as well as my own health and the rest of our family. More importantly I began to {quietly} let go of being afraid of what others may think.

Thankfully my son’s teachers since grade 1 have been more supportive. We truly have been blessed, but as his parents we still must be advocates for him and his learning. Just a few months ago he proved that grade 1 teacher completely wrong when his testing came back proving he has great intelligence and IS incredibly smart … he learns and works for what comes natural to him. Not everyone learns from a book or simply being told what to do, movement is important as well as hands on learning, visual components, technology, the learning atmosphere and being supportive emotionally with any sensitivies of how children learn in a more unique way! 

I’m very thankful for our small school and the educators our children have. Be an advocate for your child. It’s simply too easy to get ‘lost in the system’ and then have to play catch up with skills and knowledge. Take the reins, take control and follow your heart!

Take 6 minutes and watch this. Truly let it sink into your core. Every single child has unique needs when it comes to education and how they learn.

How We Support ADHD Naturally…

What I honestly recommend people to do first is to begin to make a lifestyle shift. Yes it takes time and work. BUT if I can do it and our family did it, YOU CAN TOO!

1. Introduce The Top 10 Essential Oils into your home.
   Why is this important?
   So that you and your family have natural options to turn to for a very long list of ailments such as headaches, cuts, burns, bruises, sleep, coughs, colds, digestive discomfort, respiratory support, skin irritation, acne, muscle aches and pain, sprains, strains, calming, cooling and so much more.
2. Take a closer look at what you are eating and drinking… we found a direct link to processed foods and lesser quality food and our kids behaviour (yes even our non ADHD child). Preservatives, dyes, sugar, anything “white” or bleached,  etc.
3. Sleep is extremely important. I remember when our children were young and sitting outside of their bedrooms to ensure they stayed in bed and went to sleep. Our kids were a week less than 18 months apart so their younger years are very much a blur however we made it work. Now we use essential oils every night with them topically and in their diffusers.
4. I also then did research on which specific oils would support his body and mind for his specific needs. The Oils we are using daily to support our son are Balance, Cedarwood, Vetiver, Frankincense, Lemon and In Tune. We’ve also added in high quality plant based supplements.  (Frankincense and Lemon are in the top 10 oils).
5. Routine and organization are key – which have been challenging during a whole home renovation! We also have our oils sitting in our kitchen available for them to pick and choose which oils they are drawn to for a back massage or if they need something different for their bedtime diffusers. We are empowering them with choices, natural options to support physical and emotional health.

As I mentioned above, consistency is key as well as incorporating healthy sleeping and eating habits as well. Be easy on yourself as a parent, it can be stressful and frustrating, it’s also the same for your child. There will be hiccups, adjustments, learning curves for your child, you, siblings, family, friends and educators.  Everyone has a bad day and that’s OK! This was and still is a learning experience for our entire family, however sometimes life lessons are the best kind! <3

I was once quiet and similar to my own health just wanted for us to live a “normal” life and not be labeled by a diagnosis. At first we didn’t talk much about what ADHD is or why it is important to our lifestyle. Learning opportunity for us as this contributed to him feeling singled out.

THIS IS OUR NORMAL LIFE. I wouldn’t change my family and our life for anything.  We are all unique and I am so grateful to have been chosen as my kids mom. They were given to me because 1. I needed them and 2. They needed me. So we have chosen to empower and educate. Yes he had ADHD and learns differently, truth be told he gets it honestly from his dad, myself and other family members. This is us and I am so happy we’ve been given this life together ! 💗