Welcome to Homemaking Tips Tuesdays where contributing writers share helpful homemaking tips so you can feel more successful caring for your home and family.

{This week, post by: Jessica} 

I used to love resting my head on my mom’s lap while she played with my hair. I loved taking in her voice, her touch, and her smell. The mother-child bond and the sense of smell are strongly linked.

The sense of smell is the only one of the five senses that is directly linked to the limbic lobe of the brain; the emotional center. This system has a major role in regulating emotions, impacting behavior, hormone function, sleep patterns, and long-term memory.

A scent can evoke emotion before we are even aware of it.

Often times we discuss bonding with our children through touch and sound. Yet smell is equally important and it starts the moment your child is born.

Mother-Child Bond: Sense of Smell

My mom has always loved the smell of lavender, and diffusing it in my home makes me feel closer to her even though we live thousands of miles away. I gravitate towards lavender products to use on my children as well.

For a long time I used products from big name brands because I simply didn’t know any better. Did you know lavender is one of the most adulterated oils on the market?! That means many bottles of lavender and lavender baby products in the stores may contain not-so-pure chemicals.

Luckily we as a society are more aware of how the products we use in our home are affecting our health. One thing to remember is that our children are not tiny adults. The aromas of products we expose them to can have lasting results on their systems.

Morning Mini-Massage:

I love applying lotion to my children’s skin in the morning before we really start our day. It gives us a few minutes to slow down, chat, and physically connect before things start to get busy.

Diaper Changes:

While my girls are now out of diapers, I actually used to look forward to changing them when they were little! Again, this is a time when I am able to focus directly on my child. It is a time to talk to them, sing songs and reinforce our bond.

My youngest is in pull-ups at night, and as it goes when teaching hygiene to a three year old, I still need to periodically apply diaper rash cream. I use DIY Wipes to freshen her up when needed.

Post-bath Massage:

My girls get another little rub down with lotion after they come out of the bath. The calming blend helps to settle all of us down and relax while enjoying some quiet family time.

Good-night Spray (aka Monster Spray):

Right before my girls get tucked in for the night, I give their pillows a quick spray with DIY room spray. I also like to leave a bottle in our guest room for the grandparents to use when they visit.

I also love to bond with my children through baking. Our favorite treats to bake are banana bread and cookies. Filling the house with these sweet scents I am once again taken back to my childhood memories with my mom.

We all know that parenthood is taken one day at a time (even hour by hour and minute by minute). These daytime and nighttime routines help to build and nurture my relationship with my children through the sense of smell and touch.

There is no such thing as a perfect parent, but a million ways to be a good one!

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Jessica is a stay at home mom of two lovely little girls. She is also a military spouse and an entrepreneur. Jessica enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors with her family, cooking, and reading.

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Enjoy your time at home!