From discipline to love

Many parents – if not the most – are experiencing difficult relationships with their children. Tantrums, conflicts, power struggles, rebellions…Raising a child or teenager can be a perfect storm of stress and sadness and this is why so many methods have been introduced and so many books have been written on parenting. Some of them are truly excellent. But only two books have truly helped me as a parent to come a step closer to establishing a mutually respectful and flourishing relationship with my children.

Good childhood for better adult health

Adult and child holding hands

According to an article published in the latest issue of JAMA, by promoting behavioral health in children can lead to improved lifetime health. Author Thomas F. Boat, MD notes:

"evidence from developmental neuroscience indicates that the first 3 to 5 years of life are key to later life health and successes. Unrelenting, early life stress as the result of adverse childhood experiences (exposure to violence, physical and sexual abuse, neglect and substance abuse) is a major contributor to behavioral disorders of children and has been linked to poor health outcomes across a broad spectrum of disorders, as well as premature mortality, in adults. For instance, providing an enriched environment for disadvantaged children from the first year of life until kindergarten has been associated with a reduced risk of hypertension and metabolic syndrome in the fourth decade of life".

Infant gastrointestinal symptoms and autism

According to a study published in JAMA Psychiatry, maternally reported Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are more common and more often persistent during the first 3 years of life in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) than in children with typical development (TD) or developmental delay (DD).

During a 10-year period (January 1, 1999, through December 31, 2008), women throughout Norway were recruited at the first prenatal ultrasonographic visit (approximately 18 weeks’ gestation). The study enrolled 95,278 mothers, 75,248 fathers, and 114,516 children. Three groups of children were defined: children with ASD (n = 195), children with DD and delayed language and/or motor development (n = 4636), and children with TD (n = 40 295).

The GI symptoms were based on maternal report of constipation, diarrhea, and food allergy/intolerance.

Family peace

What kinds of verbal responses do you use when your children come to you with feelings or problems? According to Dr. Thomas Gordon, Nobel Peace Prize Nominee and author of the best seller book "Parent Effectiveness Training: The Proven Program for Raising Responsible Children", most parents  are sending to their children one single message: "I don't trust you to select your solution" ! Usually, when a parent is telling his/her child precisely what to do - thus offering his/her solution to a problem - the possible effects are:

• resistance,
• disobedience,
• frustration,
• lies,
• anger,
• fights.

Think of the last time you had a discussion with your child about an issue. Did your reaction belong to one of the following categories:

• telling the child to do something, giving him an order or a command,
• telling the child what consequences will occur if he does something,
• telling the child what he should or ought to do,
• telling the child how to solve a problem, giving him advice or suggestions, providing answers or solutions for him,
• trying to influence the child with facts, counterarguments, logic, information, or your own opinions,
• making a negative judgement or evaluation of the child,
• making the child feel foolish, putting the child into a category, shaming him,
• communicating that you have him figured out or have him diagnosed,
• trying to make the child feel better, talking him out of his feelings, denying the strength of his feelings,
• trying to find reasons, motives, causes,
• distracting the child, pushing the problem aside.

If your answer is yes you belong to the majority of parents who are trying in a wrong way to communicate with their children and understand their needs. You are struggling hard and lovingly, yet your house is full with anger, fighting, tantrums, punishment and lies. Whether you have a toddler striking out for independence or a teenager who has already started rebelling, Parent Effectiveness Training is your solution! A compassionate, effective way to instill responsibility and create a nurturing family environment in which your children will thrive.

Eleni's colorful world

Minaret

Eleni is creating art since her childhood. When she was little she used to shape objects from the dough her mother made and she was taught copper engraving in elementary school. During her studies at the School of Fine Arts in Athens she took lessons on engraving, set design and photography.

Eleni Pehlivani is a painter. She was born in Germany by Greek parents but grew up in Komotini. Eleni's world is colorful, just like her experiences from three different cultures that helped her evolve as an artist and as a person. Her paintings are expressing the harmony achieved by accepting diversity, since they combine creatively different materials. Paints, threads, even sand cooperate successfully creating patterns that delight the eye and travel the mind.

Elephant

Eleni is inspired by nature, her creatures and shapes. And she loves children. She organized a visual art project for children aged 5-12 at the Benaki Museum in 2010 and at the Museum of Islamic Art in 2011.

Elephant

Fish

She says about her work: "My artistic world is a place of constant meetings, where the decorative forms and varieties of folk art are combined with angular, simple, modern geometrical forms. My inspiration is my hometown Komotini, a town rich of oriental stimuli. My paintings depict the sense of diversity, the various religions and habits of people who live there and produce a special culture. I am collecting elements from this colorful and beautiful place through my visual experiences and childhood memories and I am interested in creating a link between those diversities via my paintings."

Since 2009 until today Eleni has held three individual exhibitions and has participated in many group exhibitions in Greece and abroad. Enjoy more of Eleni's paintings at her personal blog. 

Train

Eleven truths "Maleficent" brought to my mind

 Who said truths can not be found in fairy tales? "Maleficent" reminded me of the following:

1. The wings (of soul) give power. To dream, to travel, to create.
2. Do not trust ambitious people. They will do everything in order to achieve their goal.
3. When your wings are cut (by parents, friends, companions, teachers, colleagues and so on) it hurts.
4. Parents are not those who bring you in this world, but the ones who become your protective shadow.
5. Nature rejuvenates. Visit it regularly.
6. Adaptability is a powerful weapon. Become a raven, a wolf, a dragon according to the occasion.
7. It is impossible not to love a child. It's your immaculate, innocent version.
8. Obsession with the past, hatred and thirst for revenge destroy lives.
9. Do not challenge Nature. She knows how to defend herself.
10. Love at first sight is not true love.
11. No one will love you more than your mother!

Breast milk: storage in glass or plastic bottles?

In one of my older posts I referred to the EU directive concerning the prohibition of using the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) for the production of plastic baby bottles. You can read the whole post "BPA ban" here.

The defenders of using glass containers for storing food, oil, potable liquids and other products are many. And as I have already written many times before, specifically essential oils should be stored only in dark colored glass containers.
I am reading this period an extremely enlightening book for future moms called "What to Expect the First Year". It contains lots of useful information for new parents about the care of an infant and its monthly growth and development issues of the first year. I unreservedly recommend you read it!
However I felt very surprised when I read in it that plastic containers, without BPA of course, should be prefered over glass ones in order to collect and store breast milk in the refrigerator or freezer. The reason is a study according to which in low temperatures the leukocytes in milk (the live cells that transfer immunity from you to your baby) tend to stick in greater amounts to the side of glass containers and are therefore prevented from reaching your baby!

Handmade soap with essential oils

Christmas are just around the corner and despite the recession you feel the need to offer presents to your beloved family and friends. There is no better present than the one you will craft on your own, easily and economical, as a handmade soap with aromatic pure essential oils. The receiver of such a present will get from you a message of love and a natural product, free of harmful chemicals, ideal for skin care and mental revitalization!

2nd International Congress on Non Conventional Medicine

The 1st International Congress on Non Conventional Medicine was held in Greece in June 2011. The participation in the congress was beyond any expectation. The extremely interesting speeches given by Greek and international experts on alternative medicine attracted the interest of a big audience, even from abroad. Specially for aromatherapists, the presence of Pierre Franchomme in the congress- who has devoted his career to the scientific research of essential oil chemical analysis and their therapeutic properties - has been very important. His speeches with topics "Anti-aging aromatherapy" and "Essential oils: balsam for neurodegenerative and cancerous diseases" have been extremely enlightening.

You can obtain the records of the 1st congress (available in three languages - english, french and greek) from the Hellenic Aromatherapy Association (contact phone number +30 210 9343861).

After last year's big success, it was decided to organize a 2nd congress on non conventional medicine again in Greece, on 9 and 10 June 2012. The exact schedule of the congress and the participation conditions have not been disclosed yet. Take a note of this date in your calendar, I will keep you informed about anything new!

1st Internationl Congress on Non Conventional Medicine

The first International Congress on Non Conventional Medicine in Greece is a fact!

It has been scheduled for the 11th and 12th of June 2011 in Athens, all records will be available in three languages (Grrek, English and French) and the organizers are:

• the international organization REFORMED,
• the school of alternative therapies Natural Health Science,
• the Hellenic Aromatherapy Association and
• the school Ecole Internationale d' Aromatherapie.

Attending this congress will give you the chance to get informed about the applications of alternative therapy methods (aromatherapy, homeopathy, reflexology, shiatsu, etc.) and their correlation to the medicine of Hippocrates by eminent, Greek and foreigner, experts on natural therapies. 

The second day of the congress the speeches will focus on aromatherapy and its application on persons with respiratory and cognitive disorders, for anti-aging therapies and degenerative illness. The presence of Mr. Pierre Franchomme at the congress will be of extreme importance, since he has been engaged for a number of years in the chemical analysis of essential oil constituents and their healing properties. His speeches with topics "Anti-aging aromatherapy" and "Essential oils: balsam for neurodegenerative and cancerous diseases" will certainly be sources of valuable information.

For details regarding the analytical schedule of the congress and participation applications please click here.

If you require a translation of the congress schedule do not hesitate to contact me. 

Hope amid crisis

A few days ago, during demonstrations against the new financial measurements a very tragic incident took place in Athens. Three people that had the misfortune to be working in a bank at the area of demonstrations lost their lives in a tragic way. One of the victims was four months pregnant.

The news have already traveled around the globe and many international media are adding to the recent murky characterizations about Greeks one more.

How much do we know about happiness?

You will find an interesting quiz about the feeling of happiness here.

Essential oils for ecological households

The use of essential oils is not restricted to therapy and beauty. If you want to limit the use of some health and environment aggravating substances (for example ammonia and petroleum derivatives contained in window, oven, silver cleaners etc.) there are some essential oils and other materials (baking soda, lemon, vinegar) found in our kitchens which can be used for the preparation of many household cleaners.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu. This word was chosen as a name for the free, open source operating system based on Linux which is distributed free of charge and can be improved by any programmer wishing to participate in the development team. Ubuntu in the language of the African tribe Zulu means “I am what I am because of what we all are”. At the following video one of the most known and charismatic personalities of Africa, Nelson Mandela explains the meaning of the word ubuntu and speaks about its message. Solidarity, respect, sharing, offer, care, trust, unselfishness are concepts embodied by the word ubuntu.

Aromatherapy is governed by these concepts.

Do detergents contain essential oils?

You are asking my opinion about the product series called “aromatherapy” advertised by some companies producing clothing detergents and softeners. I couldn’t know if those particular companies use in their products pure essential oils which are the only ones having beneficial properties.

I have to admit that I was positively impressed by the website of Unilever which has a list of ingredients for all its products. For example, at the list of ingredients of the product “OMO with jasmine and lavender essential oils” there is no clear reference to pure essential oils. Geraniol is contained but this is only one of the 28 components of lavender oil that act in synergy. If you search the web or contact the rest of the companies you may find similar constituent lists.

Aromatherapy while ironing!

Do you know that you can enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy even during housekeeping?

Try adding lavender essential oil in ironing water, approximately 6-7 drops per 150 ml. The results are amazing! Lavender will scent your clothes and has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. The use of lavender essential oil prevents also the concentration of salt on the iron plate even when tab water is used instead of distilled. The diffused vapor inhaled when ironing is bearing all the beneficial properties of the essential oils used.If you do not like the scent of lavender try orange (especially for children's clothes), eucalyptus, or juniper (very beneficial if you are ironing while having a cold).

Experiment with the essential oils of your preference and ironing will no longer be a dull household activity!

New Year Aroma!

Year 2010 has arrived and along with it the idea for a new blog named Aromatherapy Cosmos. As stated by its name main theme of this blog is aromatherapy, which has gained great popularity over the last years. Print and electronic media usually refer to aromatherapy as mainly a method for relaxation and cosmetic treatment. Those are however not its only uses. Aromatherapy is also a natural therapeutic method – always used complementary to medical science – which acts in a holistic way benefiting the body, the emotional world and the energy of a patient.
I came across aromatherapy a few years ago and I can say with certainty that my involvement with it enriched my life in various ways.
The objective of this blog is to attract you to aromatherapy’s fragrant and enigmatic world.
Enjoy your reading!