Usually the ills of these years can be addressed simply as well. A child who is healthy in all other aspects will still go through periods of cold, flu and toothache, and it is these minor dramas that I humbly hope to ease.
In my post about babies, I spoke about some of the benefits of essential oils. Using essential oils at bathtime is a great way to set a bed time mood, with calming lavendar essential oil added, 10 drops per tubful, added after the water has stopped running. If the child has a cough, eucalyptus or tea tree, added while the water is still running, will fill the room with medicated steam that is useful in loosening up a cough. Any room that has a sick or coughing person in it will benefit from having a diffuser. the second hand shops are a good place to find these. there is a base in which to place a tealite candle (beeswax, soywax, or leadfree) and a little dish that sits on top with water in it, this is where the essential oil goes.
Late night coughing is the worst, one way to avoid the cough syrup after toothbrushing issue is to put a blend of equal parts teatree, lavendar, and eucalyptus oils. This is a synergystic blend that really does stop night coughs. I have used different natural cough syrups and the one that works the best for us, especially for loosening up a hard cough, is one I buy in Chinatown called Nin Jiom. It is no longer as dirt cheap as it used to be but still very reasonably priced. I stock up on it every winter.
Another staple around here in winter are slippery elm tablets. Slippery elm bark is very nutritious and has been used as a nourishing food for invalids. I first became acquainted with them as a flavoured throat lozenge, "recommended for singers". On their own they have a mild vaguely cinnamonish taste. What they do is coat the mucous membranes and prevent irritation. This also makes them helpful in preventing ear infection. I had several painful ear infections as a child,no fun! One thing I did to help prevent these in my brood was to buy exclusively organic dairy products. I know dairy is one of the things that produce mucous in the body, so have used milk alternatives such as almond, rice and soy. Cheese, however, is one of my favourite things (top 5!). With all the antibiotics and growth hormones that commercial animals are fed, knowing that toxins tend to be concentrated milk and fats, this was a priority for me, despite the cost. If they do develop a sore ear, chop or crush garlic, place in a tablespoon of olive oil, strain, and let a couple drops fall into the ear. Massage gently around the ear and have them rest on their side for a while. If they are in pain, chamomile and (raw) honey tea can help. there are also homeopathic remedies that are very gentle and effective. I used homeopathic teething tablets for instance. Oh yes, and keep a hat on them. When children are warm, their bodies have more energy for developing and maintaining health. You knew that.
By the time they are 4 or so, they can take tinctures diluted. If the medicine is strong tasting it can be given with honey, or having a glass of juice at hand to chase it with helps. I never had mine refuse to take anything. Or course that is all they know. I practice prevention. At the first sign of a cough, I give them slippery elm lozenges. Give them a couple thousand mgs of vitamin C. I live in the country and am able to harvest herbs every summer. Red clover grows wild on my lawn, so I regularly pick the flowering tops and toss them in a bamboo basket on top of the fridge to dry. St. Johns wort grows nearby too. This herb is good for so many things, depression, immune boosting, burns ( when left in olive oil for weeks then strained) Feverfew I grow in my herb garden, yarrow grows wild. I have a gallon jar in the cupboard and will pull out a handful, stuff it in a teapot, pour boiling water over it, steep 10 - 15 minutes, add honey. Kind of a cure all.
There are a couple books I want to mention here. The first is The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. When my children had planters warts, I used the combination recommended here (10 drops lemon oil, 5 drops cypress oil, in 2 teaspoons cider vineagar. I put it in a little bottle and would apply a couple drops to a bandaid that I changed everyday. It worked, so no nasty getting it burned off at the doctor, no scars.
Another book I have found invaluable is The Complete New Herbal, edited by Richard Mabey. The colour photographs are so useful for identifying just what that interesting weed is and possibly adding it to your arsenal. When harvesting from the wild, I never take more than 1/3 of of a patch or a plant, depending, in order to insure a future supply. Thanks for reading, I hope this helps someone in some way. Ps. The little pine tree in the picture has light green tips which are new growth. These can be pinched off and made into a tea which is good for coughs and colds!
