Well school has started again and the laid back days of summer are over. Parents and children are making adjustments getting back to the routine of getting up early and doing homework. But for some of children it’s not that easy. These are the children that have a harder time focusing on their school work, they daydream, they are easily distracted, they have poor self control, they chat or they can’t sit still causing them to fall behind in their school work because they seem to not be paying attention. Eventually these children are labeled with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).

In my opinion these are some of the most creative children. It’s just that they may or may not have found exactly what sparks their creativity yet because they are so young. When these kids are interested in something they tend to be extremely focused, so focused that they think of nothing else.

Ritalin may not always be the answer, we are far too quick to medicate. I’ve been a parent of an ADHD child who was on Ritalin for a few months because I was lead to believe that this was the only option; and for him to do well in school he needed to be on Ritalin. He changed so abruptly from a bubbly little boy to a zoned out little zombie with no life in him. I decided that between the zombie-like effects and the possible liver and kidney damage that Ritalin was not what I wanted for him, so I began to do some of my own research.

In my research I found that about 3-5% of our school aged children have ADHD and that most of these children are boys; I also found that ADHD is the fastest growing neurological disorder of young children with the numbers of children diagnosed getting higher and higher each year. When reading about dietary concerns I found that for many children a simple change in diet could be the answer. Avoiding foods that contain saliycilates (almonds, apples, cherries, cucumbers, tomatoes or oranges), sugars artificial sweeteners, coloring, flavoring or preservatives, caffeine, gluten, casein or chocolate because these foods can trigger hyperactivity in some children.

I also found that herbs like Oat Straw, Lemon Balm, St.Johns Wort, Skullcap, Passion Flower, Chamomile or Catnip can be helpful for children with ADHD. Herbs like these help to calm down and tone the nervous system helping the body to cope with the excitability within the nervous system, they can be used either separately or combined in a formula like the one at The Herb Corner that contains Oat straw, Rose Petals, Peppermint, catnip, Spearmint, Chamomile, Slippery Elm, Chrysanthemum and Licorice. This group of herbs helps to calm the nervous system without sedating it. It can be used hot or cold as a beverage to replace all of those drinks that are highly sweetened and full of preservatives. I used this one along with a tincture of Catnip and another tincture that helped him to focus when he was doing his schoolwork.

I encourage you to read more about ADHD, diet, herbs and supplements; there are so many possibilities out there beyond Ritalin.

Resources:
Family Herbal by Rosemary Gladstar
Herbal Prescription for Common Health Problems
ADHD Alternatives by Aviva Romm
Kids Herbs Health by Linda White & Sunny Mavor
Smart Medicine for a Healthier Child by Janet Z
Robert Rountree & Rachel Walton