Herbs For Kids

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Herbs For Kids

The power and potency of the healing herbs are very real. Every herbal

treatment suggested below has specific healing properties, carefully balanced

to create a particular action within your child's body.

Natural medicines are not like manufactured medications. Herbal preparations

work gently, so they take time to act internally. When you give your child an

herbal preparation, begin with a small amount. Watch closely for signs that

symptoms are easing. Observe how the preparation makes your child feel. Using

herbal treatment requires observation, coupled with good judgment.

Natural herbal preparations are generally well tolerated by children. Most

herbs are nontoxic, with few, if any, harmful side effects. However, it is

important to know the action and possible side effects of an herb before you

give it. Although it is very unusual, some children may show signs of

sensitivity to a particular herb. Reactions can include a headache, an

upset stomach, or a rash.

If your child has a reaction, discontinue use of the herb.

If your child is responding favorably to the herb, but the reaction is too

intense, either decrease the dosage or discontinue use of the herb. For

example, say your child is constipated and you administer a laxative herb. If

your child begins having diarrhea, you have

obviously achieved relief of constipation.

It's the right idea, but the reaction is too intense. Use your judgment and

discontinue the herb. Likewise, if you are giving an herb with expectorant

properties and your child begins coughing up large quantities of mucus, you

should consider decreasing the dose so expectoration is manageable.

Herbal treatment is useful for both acute and chronic conditions. It is also

valuable in maintaining health and preventing illness. Many of the herbal

preparations will help boost the immune response and help arm your child

against recurrent infections.

Herbs are available in a variety of forms, including fresh, dried, in

tablets or capsules, or bottled in liquid form. You can buy them individually

or in mixtures formulated for specific conditions. Whatever type of product you

choose, the quality of an herbal preparation-be it in capsule, tablet, tea,

tincture, bath, compress, poultice, or ointment form-is only as good as the

quality of the raw herb from which it was made.

Herbal dosages

Newborn to two years. One

dose equals 3 drops of tincture diluted in 1/4 cup of water, formula, or

breast milk, or 2 to 3 teaspoons of tea. A nursing mother may also take an

adult dose of the appropriate herbal treatment. The herbs will be

transmitted to her baby through her breast milk, filtered and diluted to

the appropriate strength.Two to six years. One dose

equals 6 to 10 drops of tincture diluted in 1/4 cup of water, or 1/4 cup

of tea.Six to twelve years. One dose

equals 10 to 20 drops of tincture, 1/2 cup of tea, or 1 tablet or capsule.Twelve years to adult. One

dose equals 20 to 40 drops of tincture, 1 cup of tea, or 2 tablets or

capsules.

Herbal baths

An herbal bath is as much of a treat as it is a treatment. There are several

ways to prepare an herbal bath.

If you are using a soluble ingredient, such as baking soda or aloe vera gel,

simply dissolve it in hot bath water.

If you are using oatmeal, you can either whirl it into a powder in your

blender or bag it. Oatmeal seems soft, but it doesn't dissolve completely

unless it has first been very finely milled.

If you are using fresh herbs, you can bag them in a square of cheesecloth or

a washcloth. A two or three thickness square of cheesecloth is ideal. The loose

weave permits maximum release of the herbal essence, yet keeps the parts from

floating free in the bath water. One method of bagging herbs is to stitch three

sides of a cheesecloth square closed and run a drawstring through the top, or

tie the bag closed with a sturdy string. An easier and quicker method is to

place a suitable quantity of herbs in the middle of a cheesecloth square. Then

simply pull the four comers of the square together and secure them with string.

(You can do this with a washcloth or small towel, too, but cheesecloth is

easier to manage.) For a full bath, use approximately 6 ounces of dried or

fresh herbs.

Fill the tub, placing the bagged herbs under a forceful stream of comfortably

hot water. As the tub fills, swish the herbs through the bath water. During the

bath, gently squeeze an essence-rich stream of water from the herb bag directly

on the part of the body you wish to treat. Your child may enjoy soaking and

squeezing the bag. If you are treating an itchy skin condition, you may gently

rub the bag across the affected areas. Unless you can trust your child not to

rub itchy places raw, however, you may want to do this gentle scratching

yourself. If you are using dried herbs, you will have to guard against rough

parts, which may be irritating. If your child is comforted and soothed by an

herbal bath, you may want to be ready with a pre-prepared herbal infusion. Soak

6 tablespoons of dried or fresh herbs overnight in 3 cups of water. Start with

very hot water and allow it to cool naturally. The following morning, heat the

infusion and strain out the residue. No bag is needed; just pour the strained

infusion directly into the bath water.

Herbal infusions (teas)

Medicinal herbs are most often administered in tea form. The Chinese, who

have a 5,OOO-year history of herbal medicine, teach that the heat of the water

and the taste of the herb enhance its effectiveness. Steeping an herb in hot

water draws out the therapeutic essence of the plant.

To prepare hot tea from herbs, measure out 2 heaping tablespoons of herb for

every cup of tea (unless the label directs otherwise), and place them in a

china or glass teapot or cup (plastic and metal containers are not suitable for

steeping herbs). For each cup of tea, pour 8 ounces of freshly boiled water

over the herbs. Cover the container. As a general rule, teas made with the leaf

or flower of the herb should be allowed to steep for five to ten minutes; teas

using roots or bark should be simmered for ten minutes and allowed to steep for

an additional five minutes. After steeping, strain the tea, cool it to a

comfortable temperature, and serve. If you prepare more than one cup of tea at

one time, you can keep it at a comfortable sipping temperature in a thermos

bottle.

To make an herbal tea from a tincture or extract, put the suggested number

of drops of the extract into a hot cup of water. Let the mixture sit for five

minutes to allow some of the alcohol to evaporate.

Herbal juices (juiced fresh herbs)

If you are lucky enough to have a reliable source of fresh herbs and a

juicer, you may want to prepare a fresh essence.

Wash the fresh herbs well under cold running water. If necessary, scissor

them into pieces of a suitable size. Place the wet herb parts in a juice

extractor and whiz them into liquid. The fresh juice may be taken internally in

the form of a few drops diluted in tea or spring water. For some conditions,

the juice may prove valuable when dabbed externally on the affected parts of

the body.

Fresh juices are generally used immediately after extraction. However, if

you place the liquid in a small glass bottle, cork it tightly, and refrigerate

it, it will keep for several days without an appreciable loss of vital

properties.

Radiating

UNCONDITIONAL LOVE & Truth

To ALL who share our circle, our

universe, our love, our trust.

May

I always be found worthy.

Gratitude

& Thankfulness to All of Us

aSoaringHawk

Look at everything as though you were seeing it either for the

first or last time. Then your time on earth will be filled with joy &

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Thank you for YOU, ALL!