I see a lot of children and young people in my practice.  In my experience they respond well to homeopathy at every age whether for common physical childhood diseases such as chickenpox, fevers and lowered immunity causing frequent coughs and colds, or asthma, eczema, bedwetting, or behavioural problems such as extreme temper tantrums.  Whilst the consultation is with your child and you (one or both parents) , I do focus on your child in the consultation  and catch up with you afterwards by telephone as it is not helpful for a child to hear parents talking about them in front of a stranger.  I will happily answer any questions you have by telephone.

Childhood and growing up can be a really difficult time in many ways.  Children go from being completely dependent on their parents to eventually leaving home whether for a job, university or to set up a home of their own.  As parents we try and guide our children and help them towards independence but every child is different.  Some are really easy to please and are considered to be “good”.  Others are still good but they push boundaries a lot more.  Each child has its own personality often from birth.  You find families where the first child screamed and screamed from birth and was very demanding, but the second child who was very easy going and self contained, or vice versa.  These babies are products of the same parents.  Why are they so different?

We all respond differently to challenges and everyone has a very personal response to their environment.  We are born with instincts to cry when we are wet, hungry or unhappy.  As we get older, we are taught to suppress our feelings so that we are not considered to be rude or ungrateful.  Some of us have a strong sense of injustice, “It’s not fair”;  whereas others will not be bothered and carry on with life regardless. Growing up can be difficult for children as they are putting out feelers; trying to understand what they can do, what they should be doing and what is right for them.  The problem I see most often is children not being able to control how they feel, for example, a small child may get into a terrible temper tantrum but forget the reason for it and still not being able to stop themselves.  This is a normal part of growing up but if it becomes too destructive, homeopathy may be used to help rebalance their emotions.  Homeopathy won’t alter your child’s personality but it may help to change the way they respond to challenges and cope with conflicting emotions.

This applies at any age.  These tantrums can turn into anxiety, depression or self harming in older children and teenagers.  It is worthwhile considering whether homeopathy may be able to help.   I also use Indigo essences which are similar to flower essences but made with young people in mind.  They complement homeopathy and can be used as often as necessary. The child chooses which essences they need and when to take them, giving back some of the control that they feel they have lost.

We are all different.  By looking at each patient’s mental, emotional and physical symptoms to see what makes them unique and matching a homeopathic remedy to that individual, we can respect that difference and allow each person to find their own way into adulthood in the best way for them.  Homeopathic remedies are gentle, safe and not addictive.