In this week’s episode of The Whole Circle Podcast we talk the amazing Liz Chick about the incredible benefits of having essential oils in classrooms.

As you are about to hear, Liz is a wealth of knowledge when it comes to kids in classrooms and how to support the child as a whole.  We were totally blown away and could have listened to her for hours.  We know that parents, as well as educators, are going to get so much out of this episode.

Who is Liz Chick?

With over 25 years’ experience in Early Childhood, Liz has filled most positions within it. After moving from Tasmania to the Northern Territory in 2012, Liz founded the Top End Early Year’s Research Network and continues to incorporate her experience as a Trainer and Lecturer to support Educators both in the Northern Territory and around the country.

Liz sits on a number of committees that advocate for the rights of young children. Liz’ area of interest lies within the Neuroscience behind wellness and identity; links between Aboriginal pedagogy and the key principles and practices of the Educational Project of Reggio Emilia.

Liz is passionate about supporting those who work and learn alongside children and empowering them to challenge their old ways of being and knowing within our education system.

How did the pedagogy of smell enquiry-based project come to be?

Through her own experiences with her daughter and essential oils, she learned the benefits they had on their emotional wellbeing.  It didn’t take long before Liz started to incorporate essential oils into the work she was doing with children and not long after that before she started to see how positively the children were reacting to them.

One little boy, in particular, went to Liz to ask her to smell the bottle of oil again that ‘helped his brain’.  From there, Liz knew that there was more to this and really wanted to delve deep into the neuroscience of essential oils.

From there the Pedagogy of Smell and enquiry-based project was born.

Since then Liz has seen the power essential oils have had when used with children.  She has countless stories and first-hand positive experiences, not to mention she is a wealth of knowledge.

Using essential oils safely with children

Like anything you put on a child for the first time, patch testing is always important.

In the case of using essential oils in the home, Liz recommends diluting the essential oil with a carrier oil, such as fractionated coconut oil, based on the dilution ratios in this graphic, then apply it to somewhere like the inside or outside of the child’s elbow, then wait 10 minutes to see how the skin/body reacts to it.  If the child has no adverse reaction, then it’s safe to continue.

But bear in mind that topical application is not the only way oils can be used.  Aromatic application via diffusing the oils into the air is also a powerful way for children to reap the benefits.  This doesn’t mean you diffuse them all day every day in bulk to the masses.  Be mindful of the environment, allow the children to have time without them.  Find the right balance.  It could be having oils available for each child to select the oil that’s right for them to smell or if a classroom has a calm down area, having calming oils available for them to smell so that they can help themselves to emotionally regulate.  There are so many options eliminating the need for it having to be a one-size-fits-all scenario.

The other important way to ensure the safety of children around essential oils is to ensure they cannot open the bottles of oils.  You can do this by locking them away in a cabinet or you can also purchase child-proof bottle tops for essential oil bottles now so that you don’t need to worry about your little ones getting into them and accidentally ingesting them.

Incorporating essential oils into classrooms

This aligns with the safety aspect too, but Liz believes it’s vitally important to get the permission from families to allow the oils to be incorporated into the classroom, and not just via a tick-a-box form sent home either.  You know those types of forms where it will state for example, ‘We are wanting to incorporate essential oils into your children’s classroom, do you consent for this to occur.  Tick Yes or No and sign here’.

Liz is talking about educating the parents about why they are wanting to be used, what benefits they are going to have for the children and their learning, how they are going to be used.  Parents are the first educators of children and continue to be so throughout their life, so it is incredibly important that they are included and comfortable with this process as well.

As a parent, instead of just approaching your child’s teacher to talk about essential oils in classrooms, Liz suggests it’s better to go to the main decision-maker for the school, whether that’s the Principal, Assistant Principal or Student Welfare Co-ordinator.  Whoever would be in charge of student wellbeing and supporting the whole child is the person to speak to.  It would be a much better idea to have the oils in all classrooms than in just one or two classrooms.  That way you know your child will benefit each year they progress through each grade.

Where to start?

If you’re thinking you want to have the conversation with your school about incorporating essential oils into classrooms but have no idea even how to start that conversation, then head on over to Liz’s website and check out her guide Unlocking the Potential where you will learn all you need to, to support you and educators through the process.

Where else can you find Liz?

Website:           https://www.lizchick.com/
Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/lizchickessentiallyconnected/
Facebook Group:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/Essentiallyconnectedchildren/

Jo and Tracey x

 

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