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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
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