Let’s be honest. Homeschool life ain’t for everyone. It takes a certain kind of mom with a special set of kids and a little bit o’crazy on the side. And coffee. Lots of coffee.

If you’ve ever considered homeschooling before, or you have friends who have talked about it, I’ll bet you thought to yourself, “Um, no way. I could never be home with my kids all day long every day. I’d go NUTS.” Or, “There’s too much they need to know that I could never teach them.” You’re not alone.

I used to be a public-school teacher who said, “I will NEVER homeschool my kids. Homeschool kids are weird. If I can hack it, so can they.” And then I had a kid.
Well, 2 of them, but I digress…

If I’m honest, I always knew homeschooling was the right path for us. From the time Max was 3 and reading books and carrying on conversations with adults about bodily functions and trains, I knew he was different and that traditional schooling wasn’t going to cut it for us. But we tried. We sent him off to kindergarten with high hopes that he would LOVE school because he was SO EXCITED to be with other kids and to learn new things and ride a school bus!

And for a few weeks, everything was so good.

Then, the newness wore off and my already-reading-chapter-books, do-everything-right, never-went-to-daycare son started to get in trouble ALL THE TIME. He was bored. He didn’t understand why he couldn’t “help” his neighbors get the right answers. He had issues with kids not doing the right thing and being in his personal space. SUPER LONG STORY made a wee bit shorter – we decided to homeschool the next year for “first grade.”

We took each day as it came and learned the things we wanted to learn. We schooled year-round because we could. We took all our regular trips and vacations. We tried crafts and experiments and started watching nature documentaries. First grade was VERY unstructured and untraditional and exactly what we needed. We learned a lot: about stuff, but also about how we wanted to school.

This year, he is in “second grade” age-wise but all over the place with his learning and interests. He is completing a 4^th grade science curriculum, 3^rd grade math, reads at a 6^th grade reading level, and rarely does anything hands on. We are still spontaneous and unstructured in some ways but less in others.

So. Now. On to the oil piece. Each day is an adventure. No 2 days are ever the same. That is the beauty of schooling at home. Sometimes we don’t do “school work” and instead head to a state park or a museum or watch the Olympics. Sometimes, the boys play outside ALL DAY together and don’t fight or complain or bicker. Sometimes they fight and whine and mope ALL DAY. Some weeks we school long and only go 3 days and sometimes we school on Saturday.

Part of the adventure is just living life with 2 kids attached to your hips and each other every single day, day in and day out. It is frustrating and stifling and can make a mom crazy if you let it. Part of my arsenal of solutions for this absurdly unpredictable life though, is the oils. Those blessed, blessed oils.

They are a SEAMLESS part of our lives. There is no DollFamilyHomeschool without them. But HOW do you work them in? Baby steps, young Padawan, baby steps.

1. You look at your situation.
2. What do you need?
3. You look at your oils.
4. What do you have that can help you get there?

If the KIDS need:
*Focus – It’s peppermint we go to. Menthol opens the airways, which allows more oxygen flow, which helps your body function more optimally – including your brain.

*Creativity/Problem Solving – OOLAGrow. “Gives you courage to focus on the task at hand and helps you move toward positive advancement and progression.” For my TypeA 7-year-old, this blend has been a HUGE help in math.

*Attitude Adjustment – anything and everything citrus. Sometimes paired with peppermint. Citrus makes everyone happier and happier kids mean happier mom which means easier school.

If MOM needs:
*Patience – For the days when I can’t handle another knock-knock joke and I’ve heard someone call me “Mom” for the 472,912^th time. StressAway to the rescue. It makes me feel like I’m at the beach with a tropical drink in my hand. Alone.

*Calming – Valor. I have control issues. When things are outside of my control, the emotions are all over the place. It’s more than just a rapid heartbeat or a desire to curl up in a ball. Sometimes it’s homicidal rage or tears that won’t stop flowing. Valor helps me to keep ALL THAT in check.

But homeschooling is SO MUCH MORE than taking each day as it comes and constantly having adventures. Even though we encourage each day to be different and full of opportunity – there is safety in routine. Not the “we-do-the-same-thing-every-single-day” type of routine. It’s more the “I-know-the-expectations-and-that-my-mom-loves-me” type. It’s the safety of knowing that if they aren’t feeling well, that it’s most important to take care of THEM before taking care of school. School at home is important – but it’s not MOST important. It’s the knowing that we need to put good food in our bodies and get good rest at night and to move every day to stay healthy and to take care of ourselves so that we can learn as best we can every day.

So. What do we use on the regular to support our minds and bodies?

*Sleep – Tranquil. Everyone uses it. And everyone sleeps well. There’s something about lavender that makes SOME kids go all haywire and wonky. My 3-year-old happens to be one of those kids. But the addition of Cedarwood and RomanCamomile changes the game for us. Bedtime is no later than 8:30, although the older reads in his room for an hour after. A swipe on the bottom of the feet or the back of the neck is all it takes, and they are lights out until 8am!

*Digestion – MightyZymes & MightyVites. Regular toilet time is HUGE for my kids in so many ways. Taking care of their digestive systems with probiotics and digestive enzymes and lots of water and fiber keeps everything flowing and moving properly which keeps anything yucky from building up in their little bodies and causing issues. We add orange or tangerine and local honey for sweetness to smoothies packed with greens and covered up with cocoa powder or Chocolate Pure Protein Complete. We have trained them from their sweet young ages to know what their bodies need to keep the poop happening and even to troubleshoot any backups! For occasional upset or issue though, we turn to Digize on the belly – it works if you are going to MUCH or too LITTLE!
(ProTip: Layer it with peppermint to stifle the smell of the Anise!!)

*Health & Wellness – #alltheThieves. Making sure that we are naturally boosting our immune systems during the winter season and that we are washing our hands regularly and cleaning public surfaces ALL require Thieves. YoungLiving has got us COVERED with all the Thieves products that not only CLEAN things but also give your body a boost at the same time! We have a WaterlessHandPurifier for shaking hands with strangers at church. There’s a handy spray for shopping-cart handles and toilet seats. Thieves Household Cleaner can clean your entire house WITHOUT exposing your family to unnecessary toxins in the process. Also – Thieves Lozenges and Cough Drops are literally the EASIEST way to get the power of Thieves into your body – for both offensive and defensive immunity boosting! Those are for sure too strong for the kids though, so they get diluted Thieves up and down the spine a few times a week before leaving the house.

(There is LITERALLY SO MUCH MORE that we use every day for all different things, but, this is supposed to be about homeschooling so we’ll save “Mom’s Hormone Support” and “Taming Your Three-nager” for separate posts!!)

School at home is absolutely not for everyone. And sending your kids off to school each day doesn’t make you a LESS THAN stellar parent. If you DO decide that you want to chase that #homeschoollife though, you can absolutely count on YoungLiving and your essential oil arsenal to help you through those trenches.

Written by: Shannon Doll