I’ve had many friends and acquaintances ask me recently about how calm my children are.

What’s my secret?

I know that my kids do get rambunctious, but they always seem to be calm and collected when it really counts. When other kids are ricocheting off the walls and their parents are embarrassedly hushing them and stage whispering threats, I am usually inwardly smiling at my kids’ stellar behavior.

I am a firm believer in child training consistently and early. Don’t wait until they’re 4 and rule the house!

Here is my Pinterest board on parenting. I have many resources here and my husband and I are teaching our church’s adult Sunday school class about marriage and child training. I am certainly no expert!

Whereas I find my friends’ compliments a great affirmation, I can’t take all the credit here.

God has given me really intelligent, active kids.

I strive to have a great relationship with my children. They trust me. They know I want what’s best for them. I seek their opinion and strive to satisfy their needs and desire.

I rely on essential oils and dietary supplements for brain health.

We take vitamins and supplements daily. If we forget or run out (God forbid!), I notice. My husband notices.

We’ve run the gamut with making sure our kids are healthy and productive.

Elizabeth was “off the charts” for ADHD when she was about 5 or so. We went the medication route for about a year. She stopped eating. She is super skinny anyway, so that didn’t work for me at all. I looked into more natural ways to manage her moods and focus abilities. We changed our diet and started eating more naturally. If it has lots of unpronounceable ingredients, we rarely eat it.

Now, we do have healthier treats (without all that sugar and chemicals and dye!) but we occasionally eat things we shouldn’t. I think we’re healthier than average. Baby steps. We use Annie’s mac and cheese rather than Kraft. We eat lots of fruits and vegetables. We buy the best meat, dairy, and eggs. I limit the snack items we keep on hand.

Then, in my research, I discovered cod liver oil. I cannot praise its properties enough! The kids are calmer, more focused and attentive, complete their school work quicker than before. Some of this is that they are maturing and growing up these last few months, but I know the cod liver oil helps. I love this article from Keeper of the Home to help explain its benefits. Our kids love the Cinnamon Tingle flavor. I take the orange capsules. There’s no flavor, no aftertaste, and no reflux or burps.

We’ve taken this liquid multivitamin for years. I highly recommend a multivitamin since our diets are just never good enough. The kids have so much more energy when they take this daily. It’s worth the expense.

I also take 2 Evening Primrose oil capsules and a multi-B complex in addition to cod liver oil every day. I try to take a multivitamin too, but I find if I remember to take my oils and B, I’m energetic enough.

Also? Our skin looks radiant.

These essential oils are the ones we use daily.

Thieves oil maintains our immune systems. We rub it on our feet before bed. We rarely get infections now!  When Tori recently got a cold, it was much less than previous years.

Lavender works wonders on the little cuts and scrapes and skin abrasions so common in kids. Alex and Tori have dry, sensitive skin and break out around their mouths periodically, but after a couple days of lavender oil, it’s all gone. Tori knows to dab it on herself when she starts breaking out. We also limit her milk intake.

Frankincense helps brain development and heightens spiritual awareness. There’s a reason it was a gift to Jesus and it is a precious substance. I put it on my face Sunday mornings before church. Tori loves the scent and often asks me to massage her face with it. It helps moisturize skin better than commercial products!

I use several happy oil blends like perfume every day to help me conquer negativity and moodiness. I have suffered from low grade depression since I was about 12. I can’t tell you how much better I feel since using these oils. I sometimes put oil blends on Tori to help her if she’s going to be experiencing a tough situation, like our church Christmas pageant. She’s painfully shy and it gives her strength to get through it.

I use a peaceful blend often on Kate to keep her from bouncing off the walls. I often use it in my bath water after a tough week (before you think: “Ew”…I shower daily, but I only get to lay in a bath weekly, if I’m lucky!).

Liz has come such a long way from when we were at our wits’ end with her lack of focus and hyperactivity. She is learning how to manage on her own and recognize her mood triggers and find memory helps to learn better. She is learning that when her blood sugar plummets, she needs to eat. Her attitude is affected.

Tori isn’t quite so much the space cadet with her supplements and oils. We’re learning what works best as she grows and matures.

Of course, prayer is also extremely important.

The things we do work well for our family. I don’t know what issues you may have with moods, behaviors, allergies, etc. I am not a doctor. I’m just a mom. These are just our experiences.

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