In todays world we seem to be ever plugged into the hustle & bustle cycle of time sensitive daily routines. The morning rush of breakfast, packing lunches, kindi and school drop offs, rushing to work, afternoon rush of school & kindi pick ups, after school activities, washing, dinner, dishes, bath time….and repeat. Phew!!!

The thing is, that its not just adults that are in this busy rush, rush, rush we forget its our children too. They are also caught up in this busy time cycle, as well sensing & experiencing the pressure and energy that we are exuding.

With the added pressure of a global pandemic it’s a collective consciousness of spinning slightly out of control. We may not be able to change the daily hustle but we can certainly support our mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing with some simple and highly effective self care routines.

For my own mental & physical preservation & fortification my self care routines are fundamental. My idea of self care means taking small moments in time to check in with yourself, offering a small ritual that brings you peace & joy. I personally find that even just a 60 second face massage can bring me an immense amount of calm.

Dedicating time to self care is a wonderful way to set an example for your children. After all, loving and caring for yourself has to be one of the greatest lessons of all. I believe children need access to these tools to support their wellbeing. They can carry these beautiful rituals around with them for life.

Here are some of the self care rituals that we enjoy in our home:

Herbal foot bath:

Foot baths are quite remarkable as they offer both relief and healing through out your whole body. The feet put into a foot bath are a gateway for the rest of the body to receive the benefits of relaxation and stress relief along with the effects of the medicine from any added herbs.

Find a bowl or bucket with the bottom wide enough to comfortably place your feet. Boil the jug as you are going to make a strong herbal tea. This bit is for adults: In a mug add 3 – 4 tablespoons of your chosen dried herb/s and pour over boiling water to make a strong tea. Let steep for a few minutes. Half fill your bowl or bucket with warm water, the same temperature you would use for a bath. Pour in your cup of unstrained herbal tea. Place in front of a comfortable seat or for children a small stool. Pop your feet in, and sit for 5 plus minutes, breathe deeply, enjoy. Enhance the experience by wrapping a soft warm blanket around your shoulders, play relaxing music, dim the lighting or safely light a special candle.

Tea making for a warm and loving footbath

Herbal foot bath herbs:

Stress relief - Lavender

Before bed time - Chamomile

Emotionally comforting - Rose and Calendula

Uplifting and stimulating - Rosemary (also great for colds)

Feel free to mix up any of these combinations. You can also add 1 -2 drops of the same essential oils but these can be very strong for children and can be a skin irritant for some. To disperse essential oils in water firstly add them to a little milk or in a tablespoon of salt before adding to the bowl.

Lovingly and gently massaging little hands

Aromatherapeutic massage / hand massage ritual

The positive effects of massage and therapeutic essential oils are well proven and are boundless for body, mind and soul. Now whilst we might not always have time nor the funds to book in for regular massages we can practise small massage routines on ourselves or to each other. I practise a short facial massage on myself each morning before work. Stimulate blood flow, get a glow in your face and allow yourself a minute or two, to pause and enjoy the aromas & the feeling. There are multiple online lessons on facial massage – check them out!

One lovely thing to share a special quiet moment with your child is a hand massage with aromatherapeutic oils. It offers them an immediate connection to you, a dedication of time, touch and smell.

To enjoy: Have a small bowl or oil dispenser handy with some pre-mixed massage oil. Sit close side by side comfortably and place a lovely warm blanket or towel over both your laps. Take a small amount of oil in your hands and warm by rubbing together releasing the aroma and benefits of the essential oils. Take their hand in both of yours and gently press together. Hold their hand with one of yours and with your free hand massage gently several times up the arm, massage the palm, the back of the hand and each finger. Take your time, let them enjoy. Enhance the experience with relaxing music, soft lighting or safely lit candles.

Aromatherapeutic massage oil:

There are some wonderful pre-mixed aromatherapy massage oils available from your health food store that are great for children including the Weleda baby massage oil, wonderful for children of any age. You can also make up your own combination, quite easily with a base or carrier oil and essential oil/s. My favourite base or carrier oil is almond oil which is gentle and nourishing to the skin however feel free to try others such as jojoba or sunflower oil. Please bear in mind that essential oils are very powerful substances that can cause skin irritation. The safest essential oils for children are Lavender & Chamomile and I would recommend a dilution of 0.5% essential oil to that of the carrier oil. Add your chosen essential oil to a bottle of your carrier oil, mix well together and enjoy.

Night time lavender temple touch, & deep belly breathing

This is something my daughter and I do every night. It’s a lovely way to send them into a restful peaceful sleep and also a way of you connecting together at the end of a busy day.

Have soft low light. Once your child is lying down comfortably kneel down beside their bed. Place a very small swipe from the top of the Lavender essential oil bottle on the inside of your arm and rub your arms together. This is so the neat oil does not get on your childs skin but the aroma is released into the air. Place your hands on top of your childs head and use your fingers to make small circles on their scalp. Moving slowly down to the temples and forehead with gentle circular massage, take your time. When you have completed this gentle massage sequence its time for some deep belly breathing. You can talk your child through this, “close your eyes, put your hands gently on the top of your belly and take a big deep slow breath in through your nose (to the count of 5) right down deep into your belly so you can feel your belly filling like a beautiful big hot air balloon, and slowly let your breath out through your nose (to the count of 5)”…repeat this process several times.

These are but a very few ideas to get you & your children started on a journey of self care practice.

Take care…of yourself

Cushla x

Teachings in self care for children with herbs and aromatherapy

Afternoon tea for a hard working gardener

Building children’s immunity