By Julia and Rustina, Contributing Writer
You know that helpless feeling when you are sick, but can only think of taking an ibuprofen? How about when you can’t remember what works best for what ailment, and you are too sick to look it up? Learning as a kid is a great way to get that information to stick and become second nature when they are older too. You can easily do this in a way that is age appropriate and fun. Below we’ve provided some ideas of ways to incorporate teaching your children about natural healthcare into your days.
5 Ways to Teach Kids About Natural Health Care
1) When your child is sick or hurt, take the time to explain what it is you are using and why.
For example, if you are making a drawing salve or using Earthley’s Black drawing salve on a bee sting, you can talk about what it is and how it makes the pain go away by drawing out the toxin from the bee sting. Not only will they learn and remember it for next time, they will also have their attention diverted away from whatever is causing them pain. Talking about it in the moment will help to imprint it on their memory as well.
We have blogs that can help like Everything You Need to Know about Activated Charcoal and All about Bentonite Clay.
2) Read books and play games about herbs
There are Medicinal Plants Coloring Books, nonfiction books for kids that teach about herbs, as well as fictional books highlighting herbs. We also have the WildCraft board game, which is a favorite game and a fantastic way to see what the different medicinal herbs look like. Of course, you could make up stories and games as well with herbs and medicinal lore! There is also a game called Herbacious, Floriferous, or Delicious that helps teach plant identification.
At Kate’s store, Earthley Wellness, we have created many resources to teach kids about herbs and natural ingredients from coloring pages to word games to activities to information and even recorded classes! You can find all these in the Homeschool Resources and Kids Natural Wellness Classes Replays.
3) Point out different healing plants outdoors
Taking kids foraging or wildcrafting is a great way to review what they have learned and to become familiar with herbs and medicinal plants in real life. It provides hands-on experience and an appreciation for the natural world around them.
Your backyard, nature trails, parks, and playgrounds are great for this. In many areas, you will easily find plants like dandelions, nettles, plantain, red clover, mullein, and more growing in the wild. If the plant is an abundant one, you may even be able to pick some to take home with you!
If you don’t know what a plant is, then find an app (just search plant identification in your app store for ideas) or take a picture to look up later at home (ask in your favorite mom group or in Kate’s group Modern Alternative Mamas!)
This could be a fun thing you do wherever you go as a way of solidifying in your child’s mind what different plants look like. Then when you identify them, talk about their medicinal properties (Need help with that? We have many Herbal Profiles available!)
4) Discuss the proactive steps you take to keep sickness at bay
When your child wants a sugary treat and you say no, you can explain how sugar reduces our body’s ability to keep us well. Not sure what to say? Check out our Cocoa and Broth class from Oct 11, 2023 – we talk about how sugar affects the body!
And, of course, on the flip side, when you are snacking on nourishing foods, you can talk about the wonderful properties of those foods and how they build up our immune systems and help fight off sickness (there are classes about elderberries, ginger, lemon, and more!). Every mealtime is an opportunity to discuss the importance of a nutrient rich diet to our long-term health and is the best insurance from getting sick in the first place!
5) Make a nature journal
Take pictures and print them out or get the actual plant itself and tape it on the page of a nature journal. If your child is able to, you could have them sketch the plant instead. Depending on your child’s age, they can either write out characteristics and benefits of the plant or draw pictures depicting those things instead. Is your kiddo a hopeful vlogger someday? Have them do videos talking about the plants they see in nature! The best way to learn is to start talking about it.
[…] at Modern Alternative Health, I’m talking about teaching natural healthcare to your kids. In a world where most people are popping pills, it’s important to stress the importance of […]
Love this! I already do most of this, since holistic health is my passion. I explain that sometimes herbs are our best bet, while other times, homeopathy or essential oils are more effective. We talk about nutrition as we eat, and the kids get excited about herb foraging because I do.