When you see your child suffering in any way our first instinct is to do everything we can to help them feel better. When it’s physical discomfort you can see what the problem is, it’s something you can name and often see. But when that suffering is emotional it becomes much more difficult to recognise, for the child and for you as a parent.
Depending on their age, your child may not be able to recognise their emotions and name them. They may not know there is anything wrong emotionally, so often physical symptoms develop as a way for the emotions to be expressed.
Often it may not be one specific change you will notice, it could be lots of small things.
Tummy aches, headaches – often described as “pain in head”, generally not feeling well, change in sleep patterns, scary dreams, sudden fears around doing things which previously were not a problem, can all be ways for your child to express emotions which may feel unfamiliar and challenging.
Whilst we may be in the summer holidays at the moment, the new school term will be here before we know it and this year going back to school may look very different for everyone. The new school term can be a difficult transition for many children, and this year perhaps more so with strict measures schools are having to put in place. School may look very different in the new term and our children will be asked to behave around school very differently.
All of this can increase anxiety levels for some children.
The general day to day of school life will still be going on – playground disagreements can be a source of great upset and can feel all-consuming at times. Playing in a school performance, music or dance exams can increase anxiety and play on a child’s mind. They may spend weeks worrying and find it difficult to know how to ask for help.
You know your child and parental intuition very often tells you when something is troubling them.
Homeopathy can offer immediate relief to help your child face any issues or challenges they are undertaking. There is no one remedy to help with feelings of anxiety as we all feel and experience life differently.
Below are some of the most commonly used remedies for anxiety in children. Read through them and see which description best fits your child.
Aconite
This remedy is indicated when your child will look anxious, they will stare glassy eyed. Often as a result of shock or a negative experience. Fear and terror can come on suddenly. All anxiety will be worse at night, and may be very distressed and inconsolable – will also help to restore calm after nightmares and night terrors. They will fear they will not survive the anxiety, a feeling of panic. Great for panic attacks when the heart is pounding and feel faint.
Arg Nit
For anticipatory fears where your child may tremble with nervous energy and experience diarrhea before an event. Particularly useful when your child worries a great deal before doing anything new. They will worry a lot – “What if…” questions will come up, and lots of questions about upcoming events.
There will be lots of early preparation for an event, so the school bag may be packed days in advance and constant checking of bag contents and uniform. They will be very fidgety and restless, will be better for company and not want to be alone. They will appear worried but not terrified but there will be lots of fears and phobias. Such as fear, fear of being late, and a fear of crowds.
Your child may develop butterflies in the stomach and diarrhea in the morning.
Arsenicum Album
Your child will appear pale, anxious and weak. They will not want to be left alone and require lots of reassurance. Night time may make the anxiety worse, so they may wake between midnight and 2 am worried about an upcoming event. They may worry about their own health or the health of those around them. They will be restless however, and pace about and will be very particular about their environment, they will want it very tidy and organized.
Calc Carb
The child needing this remedy finds it very difficult to adjust to changes in routine. They tend to be independent children and prefer to work on their own time at their own pace – they do not do well being rushed. So the rush of breakfast and school run can cause much upset as can any last minute change in plans. There will be great reluctance to go to school and not want to join in when there and can be quite stubborn. Once they are familiar with the routine and environment they will start to relax and join in.
Their anxiety may be expressed as lots of fears particularly fear of the dark and being alone. For things to feel familiar you may notice them wanting to eat the same thing all the time or watch the same TV show again and again. The need for the familiar is very strong.
Lycopodium
For those who feel nervous about new situations particularly if they involve public speaking, performing or taking tests. There will be a big fuss about going to school. They will worry that they will make a mistake, will get something wrong or fail. However, once they begin the task in hand they do very well and often enjoy what they are doing. Nerves will go to their stomach and may feel butterflies or have an upset tummy with lots of wind and bloating.
They may cover up their anxiety with an outward show of confidence – they can appear bossy and irritable at home, yet a very different child at school. A typical time for symptoms to be worse for this remedy is between 4pm and 8pm.
Pulsatilla
This remedy is very helpful for children who find separation very difficult. They will NOT want to let go of their parents and hold onto the hand very tightly or cling to your leg. There will be crying which can be soothed with the help of kind words and an adult they can sit with when in class.
Give 30c potency twice a day for 5 days. If there is no change, consult a homeopath for help.
Sometimes it’s hard to prescribe remedies for our children; we often miss some key symptoms as we are so emotionally invested in wanting them to feel better. This is normal and with the help of a homeopath your child will start to feel better in no time at all.
