By Julia, Contributing Writer
Teaching your kids about natural healthcare is important so they have an understanding of how to take care of themselves without reverting to pills and chemicals. You can easily do this in a way that is age appropriate and fun. Below I’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 using some clay 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.
2) Point Out Different Healing Plants Outdoors
If you don’t know what a plant is, you could always look it up together on your phone — there are some great apps for this — or take a picture to look up later at home. 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 what their healing properties are and what they are good at healing.
Nature trails at 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 choose to pick some to take home with you! (Please don’t pick rare or endangered plants.)
3) Read Books About Herbs
There are Medicinal Plants Coloring Books
We also have the WildCraft board game which is her favorite game and a fantastic way to see what the different medicinal herbs look like. Of course, you could make up your own stories and games as well with herbs as the star!
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. 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. Every meal time 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 natural 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.
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.