19 Sep Gentle and Natural Ways to Manage Focus and Frustration in the Homeschool

I knew before we started homeschooling that there would be challenges.   Knowing myself and my children, I even knew what our biggest challenges would be!  Sure enough, I have not been disappointed…

Why Did We Originally Consider Homeschooling?

One thing that originally really compelled me to consider homeschooling was observing my son in his preschool environment.  While the rest of the kids would sit quietly, cross-legged in a circle listening to a story, he would be jumping up and down in the background, listening in his own way.  It was a loving and accepting school with very small class sizes, so the fact that my son was not going to sit quietly with the rest of the class was never a huge issue.  But I knew that this would quickly become an issue in a large, busy public classroom and I was not prepared to have my child labelled in any way.  In my mind, Clark was a happy, joyful, creative and brilliant little boy who loved to move and I believe that each of those characteristics should be nurtured, not stifled.

So we began our homeschool journey, learning as we go.  As suspected, issues with focus and frustration have been lurking underneath the surface on a daily basis.  I recognize that this is partially to do with curriculum choices. We’ve got to take the time to learn what works for each of us in terms of schedule and learning methods.  With this in mind, we continue to work to find our groove.

Essential Oils

Besides the schedule and behavioral modifications, I have also introduced essential oils into our homeschool environment. I really wanted to make use of their therapeutic properties. It was also important to me to find gentle and natural ways to manage focus and frustration in the homeschool.

Because essential oils affect each person in an individual way, their use often requires experimentation – and believe me, we’ve done a lot of it!  We are constantly experimenting, trying to find the perfect fit for all of us.

We started using one drop of Cedarwood essential oil on the back of the neck, combined with diffusing Lemon essential oil.  Cedarwood has a warm, woodsy, balsamic aroma which creates a relaxing, calming and comforting atmosphere.  It is an important ingredient in some of the brilliant essential oil blends by Young Living such as Brain Power and Highest Potential.  Lemon essential oil has a bright, refreshing scent.  It’s like sunshine in a bottle.  We have found it to help promote mental and cognitive alertness.

Our Favorite Essential Oil for Homeschool

Our most recent favorite oils for our homeschool challenges is GeneYus, a blend from Young Living’s KidScents Oil Collection.  We added a roller fitment to the top, since it’s already diluted. Clark can now apply it wherever he feels he needs it, whenever he feels he needs it.

GeneYus contains some pretty impressive essential oils (Boswellia sacra oil, Callitris intratropica wood oil, Cedrus atlantica wood oil, Melissa officinalis leaf oil, Picea pungens tree oil, Bursera graveolens wood oil, Ferula galbaniflua resin oil, Prunus amygdalus dulcis oil, Citrus aurantium bergamia peel oil, Commiphora myrrha oil, Santalum paniculatum wood oil, Pelargonium graveolens flower oil, Aniba rosaeodora wood oil, Cananga odorata flower oil, Hyssopus officinali† leaf oil, Picea mariana leaf oil and Rosa damascena flower oil), which I encourage everyone to research.  Each oil has some incredible qualities that can be so beneficial.

Essential oils are incredibly gentle and natural ways to manage focus and frustration in the homeschool. We love to diffuse our essential oils with an essential oil diffuser.  Depending on what essential oil you choose, you can enjoy a relaxing or invigorating atmosphere.  Here are few more essential oils and essential oil blends that we love. You may choose to experiment with these in your homeschool:  Peppermint, Lavender, Clarity and  Brain Power.