Herbs and Your Little One

Children are special creatures, with sensitive, highly receptive, developing bodies. They are open-hearted, forgiving, and filled with energy. The light of our lives. They are human, and like us, sometimes they get sick. When this happens, it is important to remember that their tiny bodies need a gentle approach to healing. Often the first thing we want to do is to call the doctor, and this is fine. For we want our littles to feel better as soon as possible. It’s so hard to see your child suffering from a cough that keeps them up at night, or having a hard time breathing because they are so congested. Typically, a doctor will either recommend a pharmaceutical drug, an over the counter medication, or a recommendation to rest and drink lots of fluids. A more holistic doctor might recommend using medicinal herbs, which are a wonderful alternative to the other medications that have side effects and often questionable ingredients.

Medicinal herbs are plants that have compounds and constituents in them that facilitate healing in many different ways. People have been using plants in this way for at least 60,000 years. Every culture on Earth has a history of using plants as medicine. Over time, much of that information has been lost or forgotten.  Fortunately for us, there is now a plethora of knowledge available at our fingertips. This makes it easy to find out what sort of plants we can use and why. The scientific research that has been done and is still being done continues to prove what people knew long ago, medicinal plants work. However, as I mentioned earlier, children are sensitive and need a gentler approach, so not all herbs are good for kids. There are many that do work well with children though, some are called “children’s herbs,” and all of them are safe for children and without side effects. Thus, there are safe and effective herbal remedies for kids!

Let’s start with immune boosting herbs. These are herbs that you can give to your child at the first sign of illness. You can also use these after your child has been exposed to an illness, or they can be used as a preventative, for a specific length of time, (for example, throughout the Winter), to keep immunity systems activated and strong. Echinacea, Elderberry, and Astragalus have all been getting a lot of press lately. This is because medical research has shown that taking these extracts will help shorten the duration of colds and the flu. All three of these plants are immunostimulants, thus boosting the immune system, and they are also anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-septic and more, plus they are safe for children.

While boosting the immune system is helpful, often additional herbs are needed for more specific ailments, like when your little has a cough. There are many herbs that can support healthy respiratory systems. How do you know which one to use though? Well, typically there are a few different types of coughs. To keep it simple, let’s talk about a wet cough and a dry cough. For a dry cough, herbal demulcents, which are moistening and soothing, are helpful. My favorite demulcent for children is Marshmallow. Anti-spasmodic herbs are also useful here because they ease excessive coughing and can help with sleep. Thyme, Mullein, and Red Clover fall into this category. For a wet cough, using expectorants will help to loosen the mucus up and out of the lungs, making coughs more productive. Mullein, Thyme, Horehound, and Marshmallow are all wonderful expectorants for kids. If your child also has a sore throat, using Wild Cherry Bark is wonderful as well.

Perhaps my three favorite ‘multi-purpose’ herbs for children are Lemon Balm, Catnip & Chamomile. I recommend having a few, or all, of these herbs on hand to make tea for your child & family. They all taste delicious too! Lemon Balm and Catnip are both anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and nervines. They help support the immune system and they also help to calm the mind, reduce anxiety, nervousness, and restlessness. Additionally, they are calming to the digestive system, as they are in the mint family, and are wonderful for colic and upset stomachs. Chamomile, though in a different family, also has similar properties. It is a mild sedative, and is most often used for reducing symptoms of ADHD, suppporting sleep, and calming digestive upsets. (If your child has an allergy to ragweed, don’t use chamomile as it is in the same family.)

Other herbs I love for kids (and for mamas & papas):

Nettle, Red Clover, and Red Raspberry leaf are deeply nourishing herbs, providing essential vitamins and minerals. These are wonderful in tea. I usually make a ‘nourishing’ blend in the morning and my son and I drink it throughout the day.

Holy Basil, or Tulsi, is also a wonderful multi-purpose herb. It strengthens the immune system, improves memory, supports the nervous system and so much more. This plant is worshiped as a Goddess in India, and is grown in almost every home!

A few more are: lavender, calendula, elderflower, & peppermint…

Now you have a list of many different potential remedies to help your child the next time they are in need. But how do you take them and which ones should you use? Well, herbal medicine can be used in many ways, it really depends on the individual. You can make teas, give herbal baths, ingest tinctures, or use herbs topically. Tinctures are usually alcohol extracts, though glycerites, which are made with vegetable glycerin, are sometimes called tinctures. Most of the tinctures marketed towards children are made with glycerin because it is sweeter, so kids will happily take it. As you begin to use herbs, start slow… see what works for your family. Is your child willing to drink multiple cups of tea when they are sick, or is it easier to give them a dropperful of tincture and maybe a cup or two of tea?

I suggest keeping one immune boosting tincture (with either Astragalus or Echinachea) and one respiratory health tincture on hand at all times. If you can, I also highly recommend making or buying Elderberry Syrup. When my little is sick, I alternate between the immune boosting tincture and the Elderberry Syrup. I also love having a respiratory/immunity tea blend, plus a few other tasty herbal teas kids love like Lemon Balm and Chamomile. I must say that I also LOVE herbal chest rubs. I have been putting herbal chest rubs on my kiddo nightly to facilitate breathing while he sleeps, as they are wonderful for everyday, and superb when he has a cough. Finally, herbal baths and steams are excellent ways to get more herbs into children, because most kids love baths! Any herbs can be used in this way, but my go-tos are Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Lavender, Thyme & Calendula. Single herbs can be used, or combinations are lovely, depending on the situation.

Hopefully this knowledge helps support you and your family’s journey to health in a holistic way. Please know that information given is not intended to represent or replace the advice of a medical professional or physician. Always consult your doctor first, as some herbs may be contraindicated depending on your situation. I always suggest doing more research, so that you can feel empowered with the most knowledge and be confident when using medicinal herbs with your family.

Ashli Eyerman is a Western Herbalist and has been studying and using medicinal plants for over 10 years. She was first introduced to the possibility of using as plants as medicine by a Mexican Curandero (or Shaman/healer) whom she studied with while completing her degree in Cultural Anthropology at Cal State San Marcos. After graduating, she moved up the the mountains of Northern California and completely immersed herself into the worlds of herbalism, wild-crafting, and vegetable gardening. She is the mother to one beautiful son, currently six years old, and she homeschools him through a Waldorf Charter School. Last year, she completed an herbal apprenticeship with herbalist, Kathi Keville, and in the Spring of 2018 she started an herbal product line called Earthen Abundance, which is available on Etsy.

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