6 Safe and Effective Herbs for Children
There are many common children ailments that can be safely and effectively addressed with herbal medicine. Things like colic, whooping cough, colds, flus, mild fevers, ear infections, and insect stings can all be safely dealt with at home. Children’s bodies are sensitive and receptive to botanical medicine, making gentle herbs a wonderful addition to your family’s medicine cabinet. Children’s organs are more susceptible to damage from drugs, which is why trying herbs first can be a wonderful way to care for their bodies and build resiliency over time. Additionally, children still live aware of the attraction and fascination with the natural world we all have, and helping them build a relationship with herbal medicine that they themselves can harvest and make is not only empowering to them but helps build a future in which people carry a fondness and loyalty towards the Green World.
Before we get into the six gentle and effective herbs we can offer to babies and children, let’s talk about how to give herbs to children. For babies under 6 months, it is generally agreed upon that administering herbs through the mother’s breast milk is the safest method. The mother can drink 4-5 cups of tea a day or take 1-2 dropperfuls of tincture 3-4 times a day to pass on the medicine to her child. If the baby is not being breastfeed, then small amounts of tea or tincture can be added to their formula when they are being fed. For a tincture you would add 2-3 drops (not dropperfuls, drops!) or ½ teaspoon of tea brewed for 15-30 minutes.
Once children are weaned and can process solid foods, an easy way to determine the proper dose for your child is to divide their upcoming age by 24 to calculate what percentage of an adult dose they should be given. For example, if you have a 2 ½ year old, you would calculate as follows:
3 ÷ 24 = .125 . I would round down and give the child 1/10 or an adult dose. If math is not your thing, you can also bookmark this page as a detailed reference guide.
There is also the issue of convincing your child to drink the herbal remedy in the first place! I highly encourage you to familiarize your children with herbal medicine before they get sick so they will be comfortable and open to the herbs, and if the child has interacted with the plant and helped pick the herb themselves, they are all the more likely to want it when they feel unwell. It is also important to account for taste. Remedies like herbal honeys, herbal syrups, teas, herbal popsicles, herbal baths, and glycerites are great ways to give your child herbal medicine. Also, the following 6 herbs for children tend to be the tastier herbs available to us, and are more likely to be amenable to a child’s palate.
Without further ado, let’s meet our green allies that are especially useful for children!
LEMONBALM
Lemonbalm is one of the most versatile herbs for our bodies. Melissa officinalis acts on the nervous system in a calming way, is anti-spasmodic and has anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. Melissa means “honey” or “honeybee” and in Greek mythology is the name of a magical nymph who was said to give the teachings of the honeybees. Engaging the imagination of children is an excellent place to start with herbs, don’t you think? Lemonbalm can help move a cold or flu along by relieving congestion, upset stomach, and mild fever. Lemonbalm has also been known to relieve symptoms of colic, and can be a great ally for the parents as well in this situation! Lemonbalm chewed or blended into a poutlice can soothe and heal an insect bite or sting. An uplifting herb for the heart, as well as calming for the nervous system, Lemonbalm can be a great ally for children experiencing frequent nightmares or a calming friend when the child is coming down off of an upsetting or scary experience. Lemonbalm also increases centeredness and focus, and can be an excellent ally for children with ADD/ADHD patterns if the child engages with Lemonbalm on a daily basis for an extended period of time. In the Mint Family, Lemonbalm is easily found or grown, and can be identified by its distinctive lemony aroma when touched. A delicious tea, Lemonbalm also makes a lovely herbal honey and glycerite.
CATNIP
Catnip is a powerful anti-spasmodic and is the first herb I would try for a colicky baby. A mild sedative, it can also be useful for children who have difficulty falling asleep by offering them the sense of relaxation they need to feel safe enough to drift off. Catnip has also been indicated for hyperactive children, but only in small doses. Larger doses can have the opposite effect, so less is more with this herb. Any type of cramp can be eased with catnip, including muscle cramps from sports, growing pains, gas pains, or menstrual cramps in pre-teen or teen girls. Catnip can also be smoked to ease menstrual pains, and if you have a teen who adamantly expresses interest in smoking and you are concerned, it may be worth your while to guide her into herbal cigarettes she can roll herself rather than addictive and harmful tobacco cigarettes. Catnip is also a Lamiaceae (Mint) Family herb, and grows easily in pots with soft, grey leaves with a triangular shape. If your child has a cat, the child and the cat can even try catnip together! What fun! Catnip is best as a tea, tincture, and as it is deliciously aromatic would be a great night-time bath.
CALENDULA
Speaking of baths, I can think of few things more delightful than popping a few calendula blossoms into your child’s bath for them to play with! Calendula officinalis is especially indicated as a wound healer and skin soother. Consider an oil or cream made with calendula for diaper rash, cradle cap, or rubbed on the tummy of a fussy baby or child with a bellyache. Calendula is also a great first-aid herb, and an oil or salve can be applied to scrapes and scratches to help quicken cellular healing and prevent infection. The bright, sunny blooms of Calendula are medicine in and of themselves, and this herb makes a wonderful pot herb or companion plant in your garden. Children love to pick the flowers, and Calendula is excellent as an herbal honey, and herbal oil, or beautiful tea. You can also decorate your food with the petals, and transform a boring ol’ green salad into a bright and appealing treat.
MULLEIN
Mullein leaves are exceptionally healing to the lungs, and the flowers are known as a primary ear infection remedy when paired with Garlic. Mullein is a very gentle plant with huge, soft oblong leaves and a massive flower spike dotted with small yellow flowers. I use Mullein leaves boiled in milk, as a tincture, in tea, or steeped for 4+hours in just boiled water to give my lungs powerful support. Children experiencing coughs, sore throat, lung congestion, and gunky allergies can benefit from Mullein. Children who are exposed to wildfire smoke can take Mullein as a tonic to protect and heal their delicate lung tissues. In the case of ear infections, Mullein oil + Garlic oil combined in equal parts, warmed, and administered to both ears can ease the pain and clear the infection. Mullein grows anywhere humans have disturbed the soil, and especially can be found along the edges -- fence lines, walking paths, roadsides, and lakeside. Mullein leaves can also work as an emergency bandage when out and about, as well as emergency toilet paper, because, well, ya never know, especially when kids are involved!!
CHAMOMILE
This delicate herb has been an ally for children since time immemorial. Chamomile is sweet, tasty, and calming. Chock full of essential oil, Chamomile provides prompt and thorough relief for viruses and infections of the chest and digestive system. Chamomile has been reported to ease the symptoms of whooping cough and support the child’s body as the illness runs its course. The Chamomilla species can also calm a child down when ill, or when experiencing fiery hot emotions and tantrums. In Honduras it is traditional to give a baby its first bath with chamomile tea, and I think this is a wise and beautiful practice. The anti-microbial wash protects baby and the sweet, relaxing scent helps baby feel received and welcome Earthside. Regular Chamomile baths for children can be a fun event, and might help a child resistant to bath time feel more inclined towards it! The flowers can be harvested and dried for tea. Chamomile is best when infused in hot water, I would always use it in this way and never as a tincture.
ELDER FLOWER
Elderflower is my go to herb for clearing out sticky, gunky mucus that is bright yellow or green in color. I like to combine it with anise and cinnamon to help get relief from congestions from a cold or allergies, especially when the pressure is in the sinuses. Children with seasonal allergies may benefit from elder flower teas. Elder Flower is also a reputed herb for sweating out a fever when used hot. When used cold as an infusion, elderflower then works on the kidneys and urinary tract, moving fluid and clearing out infections. Babies and children are very susceptible to fevers, please only use Elderflower with mild cases, and seek help if the fever increases rapidly. A myriad of Elderflower concoctions can be made, like Elderflower honey and syrup. Soothing to a sore throat, Elderflower honey would make an excellent remedy for a child who is raspy and hoarse. The flowers of the Elder are an ebullient, creamy bouquet and carry an innocent, maiden-fairy energy and match very well energetically with school age children. To make a cold infusion of Elderflower, simply steep the flowers in a jar of water in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. Elderflower is easy to gather, and is best when taken from the Sambucus nigra species of Elder.
Children and herbs go hand-in-hand, and if you haven’t already discovered herbalism, doing so with the delighted energy of a child you are close to would be all the more joyful. For parents, all of these herbs are wonderful for adults as well, and can help you in the same way they can help your children. Herbalism belongs in the home, and is a simple and affordable way to nourish the health and wellness of your family. My mother spent time making creative things with me and taking me out on hikes as far back as I can remember, and to this day I still love to make things and go for nature walks with her and on my own. It just feels right. Inviting your children to make herbal remedies along with you; give them the gift of getting to know our Green Allies, something they will carry with them throughout their whole lives.
In Love,
Susan Marie