I am not a medical professional. Always ask your doctor before changing anything.
As I write this, we’re recovering from a tantrum of epic proportions. My middle child is highly, highly sensitive. He’s 3.5 and in the midst of that very emotional stage between 2-4 years old. He also shows signs of sensory overload and sensory processing disorder, among other things. I’ve explored tons of tools and options to help support him naturally, and I want to share what has worked for us in the hopes that it may be able to help you, too.
When emotional dysregulation hits, you want to be prepared. If you know what I’m talking about, you know it can happen at any time — in the middle of the grocery store. At a birthday party. When you need to get out of the car to pick up an older child at school. First thing in the morning. Last thing before bed. In the middle of the night. Literally, any time.
That’s why, with everything I’m going to share with you here, I keep all of it in my purse and another copy in the pantry at home. I never leave home without it. I do not want to be caught in a situation and not have it. That’s how important these are!
First things first. Mama, in those moments, please put your oxygen mask on first. Pop a nano jelly. Trust me, it helps more than you will realize. And over time, as you’re more consistent and your endocannabinoid system comes back into balance, the effects will multiply.
So once you’ve done that for yourself, focus next on your child, and start with the oils.
Essential oils are powerful. They travel through the olfactory system directly into our brains. Hence, they work fast. You will want to choose oils that are known for their calming properties and which can instill feelings of safety, comfort, courage, and control. Later we can look at oils that support the release of trauma (if that is part of your child’s story) but in these intense moments, the focus is on calming them down.
I prefer to use rollers that are easy to apply to the back of their neck, spine, and forehead. If you can’t reach them (they’re in their car seat and you’re driving) or they refuse to be touched, one thing I will do is roll the oil all over my hands and then kind of wave them around near my child’s face, so he can smell it. Or if I’m driving, I will turn on the air and rub the oil on the car vents to disperse the molecules throughout the car. You could also buy a car diffuser, and get your oils going proactively every time you drive somewhere.
Like I said before, oils work fast because of their incredibly small molecule size and the fact that they are inhaled — so if you have chosen the right ones (my go-to blends are linked here), I notice a calming effect within a minute or two.
The second part of my protocol is CBD. CBD is incredible for balancing the entire body through our Endocannabinoid system. But what I love about CBD is that it will go to the areas of the body that need it most. For fussy and emotional children, that could be the brain or the gut. And we know the brain and gut are connected — inasmuch as mental/emotional health can be linked to our gut health. If you look at the image below, you’ll see that we have a very high concentration of Endocannabinoid receptors in both of these locations. There are many cannabinoid receptors in the areas of the brain associated with attention deficit (the amygdala and hippocampus), for example. And there have been several studies over the last decade showing a strong link between the endocannabinoid system and the GI system.
There is a large body of research growing rapidly around CBD and its potential to help with a variety of major health conditions – many of which affect the brain as well as the gut. Some of these are addiction, autism, Alzheimer’s Disease, ADD/ADHD, anxiety, autoimmune disease, concussions, brain or spinal injury, depression, inflammatory bowel conditions, OCD, migraines, multiple sclerosis, neuropathy, Parkinson’s Disease, PTSD, schizophrenia, seizure disorders, and sleep disorders.
CBD is known to have potent neuroprotective properties, a fact known and even patented by the US government. CBD also influences the 5-HT1A serotonin receptors, by naturally increasing the amount of serotonin available to the body.
If you have a child who will regularly and willingly accept a gummy or liquid “vitamin” once or twice a day, my recommendation would be to do this proactively and consistently. I administer CBD oil tincture once or twice a day, and one of those is usually as my child has calmed down from a high-stress moment. Some children will prefer the nano jellies, others will prefer the tincture/oil.
Additional supplements that I find helpful to administer daily are cod liver oil, magnesium, and lemon balm. I won’t go into too much detail because there is a ton of information readily available online – but we know that Omega 3 fats, as well as fat-soluble vitamins A & D, are very important for brain health. My kids actually love to chew on Rosita cod liver oil softgels. I have to store them on the top shelf in our pantry so they don’t take more than the recommended dose! Magnesium is not only calming and helps with sleep, but it’s involved in hundreds of natural bodily processes and is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies. We love magnesium lotion which we put on their tummies and the bottoms of their feet. And finally, one of my favorite herbs for the 5pm witching hour is Lemon Balm. Sometimes called Melissa, lemon balm soothes the nervous system and is very relaxing. It’s also our secret bedtime tranquilizer.
To summarize, here is our natural tantrum-taming, emotion-supporting, and brain-strengthening protocol:
Essential oils
CBD
Cod Liver Oil
Magnesium
Lemon Balm
You can purchase the essential oils through my link below. If it’s your first order, use my referral code 30704430 as well as the discount code SHAREYL for $10 off.
You can also purchase CBD oil through my link below. If it’s your first order, you can get a BOGO deal of your choice of 2 bestsellers for $99.
The rest of the supplements are on Amazon!
If you have questions about our story or would like to chat more, I’m an open book. My goal has always been first and foremost to help my family thrive, and as a side benefit, build a business helping other mamas do the same. Reach out to me anytime!