Over the past few years our house has been infiltrated by “ Essential Oils ” for everything, and I’m here to make the case for why you as a parent should avoid them at all costs. I stuck with the top 5 reasons I could think of, but there are so many more I can get into. They have seriously taken over so many aspects of my life and I want to make sure that you don’t get trapped in the same pitfalls that I did.

So here are the reasons you should avoid them at all costs:

1- You Love The Meltdowns.

Without your children routinely melting down, how would you learn to appreciate the calm on the rare occasions that it arrives? That’s right! You wouldn’t. It would just be too calm, too much of the time. What you need in your life is that particular jolt of reality at the worst possible times. Flailing on the supermarket floor. A kicking spitting biting terror during a wedding. A drag ‘em out fight about a lollipop while you try to have a business meeting on the phone. This is what we need in our lives and it’s been taken from me. At the first signs of mania, a few drops of some of the oils known to have calming effects seems to steal this experience from me. The kids are quickly able to get their bearings and I’m left with my defenses up for nothing.

2- Not Sleeping Is Like….. Your Favorite Thing

Not only do those calming oils rob me of a chance to really battle it out with logicless miniature tornados of terror, but they also help our kids to get to sleep. There’s nothing I like better than ending my day with dozens of visits from my kids, complaining that they can’t sleep, want water, think it’s too early, want to watch TV too and whatever other excuse they can manufacture. So now here I sit in the evenings. Watching shows I want to watch. Enjoying a glass of wine. Conspicuously NOT dealing with children at all hours of the night. Oh, oils. Why must you take everything from me?? Not only that, but when I can’t sleep (which is so awesome), a few drops of the restful blend (lavender, cedar-wood and a few other zzzz oils)  put me down like a blowdart of Melatonin, The English Patient and A Warm Room with Enya playing softly in the background.

3- You Need to do Your Research First (Just Like You Did For that Energy Drink or the Bag of Cheese Puffs You Regularly Consume.)

You’re not putting that stuff into or onto your body until you KNOW what it’s made of. You’re not going to just sit back and allow essential oils, literally taken from plants, to get anywhere near you. You need to do your research first to find out what the hell is going on here. Does it matter that actual scientists and medical researchers have done peer-reviewed studies that have proven their effectiveness?  Does it matter that many doctors and hospitals are now using them? Hell no it doesn’t! You are smarter than that and despite the many studies and countless testimonials, they must be nothing more than placebo.

4- Cleaning Vomit From Car Seats Is Pure Heaven To You

Car trips should all go down the same way every time.

  • Begin the day filled with promise
  • Pack the car.
  • Halfway there realize your child is looking green– frantically look for a container or bag to contain the mess that is about to happen.
  • Finish car trip up to your elbows in vomit and up to your eyeballs in dismay.

Well all know this is the way it should go and any deviation from it is just pure sacrilege. A few drops of certain oils always curtails this eruption and has stopped my daughter from her regular lunch expulsions. Unfortunately this has robbed me of the joy of suppressing my gag reflex as I scoop peanut butter sandwich puke out of the crevasses of the car.

5- Unexpected School Absences Make EVERYTHING easier!

If you work from home like I do, having a kid there with you enhances all that you do. You will never be more productive than on the days that you have to manage illness, meet deadlines and take client calls all at the same time. If you work in an office, what can be better than securing reliable last minute caretakers when your kids are feeling under the weather? Using Oils has stolen this joy from me as well! You see, when the kids are in school we routinely diffuse essential oils that help to support their immune systems. At the first hint of unwell, we up the frequency to help their bodies fight off what is going on. But hey–who am I to deprive you of those frequent school absences? If they are your thing be CERTAIN that you avoid incorporating the oils into your daily regimen.

I would never have gone down this route. I was perfectly content with spending more to get worse results and more side effects provided by the products I had always known and loved. But then my wife (a professional R.N.) just HAD to go and realize a “better way” to do things. Better ways to clean our house and make it smell amazing without toxic products full of carcinogens. Better ways to keep the kids (and ourselves) healthier, happier and and calmer. She was so determined to help other families with their health issues and goals  that she did it alongside her RN hospital job until it eventually became her main gig. If you’re like me and you love the status quo, keep doing what you’re doing. But if you want to learn more or try essential oils, contact her at by clicking here.  Follow her on Facebook here.  Warning: a 5-10 minute consult with her may lead to better sleep, better school attendance and less meltdowns. 

Every parent always wants the best for their kids, and if what’s best for them can also be the best for you then it’s a total win-win!

Check out how I was sold on them in one of my earlier posts:

Maybe My Wife’s Not So Crazy