Here are some alternatives to try. Remember that many herbs have not been tested for safety specifically for children, so check with a health practi- tioner first.


Exercise Does Make a Difference by Lee Walker


elly Colerick, founder of Step Ahead Educational Services, is a credentialed special education teacher with more than five years of classroom experience. In agreement with naturopathic doctors that recom- mend using natural approaches to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), she has seen firsthand how exercise can help. “My students and I perform exercises prior to class, and this makes a significant differ- ence in their alertness, posture and level of engagement,” says Colerick. “I conducted an informal five-week study of special-needs children in my classroom and noted that 20 to 30 minutes of exercise even led to a slight improvement in grades.” Exercise improves children’s mental state and leaves them more positive and motivated to do well in the classroom. “Simple educational, kinesiology warm-up exercises before class, such as sensory inte- gration and Brain Gym movements, specifically designed to enhance academic skills, help children with sensorimotor issues and learning disabilities,” advises Colerick. She provides space in her independent classroom setting for yoga mats, medicine balls, bean bag chairs and books, noting, “Kids like to work off their excess energy and regroup between classes.”


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Location: 3138 Roosevelt St., Ste. H, Carlsbad 92008. Contact: call 858-384-1145 or visit StepAhead- SanDiego.com. See ad on page 16.


22 San Diego Edition


Bug Bites For quick relief, grate a potato or some leaves of plantain to create a poultice and place it on the spot of the bite. “It will draw off some of the itching and swelling,” says Baral. Don’t forget two of the lowest-tech and natural rem- edies, mud and ice.


Fever “It’s important to know that most fevers don’t need to be treated unless they are really bothering the child,” advises Sears. “Fever helps the body to fight off infection and may keep the child subdued so she can rest and recover.” He recommends tepid baths, cold cloths on the forehead, and calling the doctor if a fever persists for three days or if it rises above 103 degrees. Herbal- ist Brigitte Mars, author of The Country Almanac of Home Remedies, suggests diaphoretic herbs like peppermint, ginger and elderflower, in teas, which prompt perspiration and enable the body to cool down naturally.


Cough and Congestion Apply an herbal vapor rub of menthol and tea tree oil to the bottom of the child’s feet and put their socks back on. The decongesting menthol vapor will help them to breathe and the antimicrobial proper- ties of the tea tree oil will be absorbed through their skin, says Mars. For nasal deconges- tion, try irrigating the child’s nose with a cleansing neti pot. Sears recommends kid versions of herbal remedies Sinupret and Bronchipret


Diarrhea and Constipation


“Probiotics are the most extensively researched remedy we have out there for diarrhea,” says Baral. Studies in the journal Pediatrics have shown probiotics to shorten


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bouts of diarrhea in infants and school-age children, and prevent the onset of antibiotic-induced diarrhea in kids. Look for yogurt, powder or capsules containing 10 billion colony- forming units (CFU) of Lactobacillus GG. Sears suggests the BRAT diet (ba- nanas, rice, applesauce and toast) to quell diarrhea. For constipation, reach for apricots, peaches, pears, plums and vitamin C.


Earache


Drop four drops of warm mullein garlic oil into the ear. Sears says the warm oil will calm the inflamed eardrum and the antibiotic in the garlic will get to work on the infection. Olive oil will work in a pinch.


Growing Pains While it’s common for kids between the ages of 3 and 5 or 8 and 12 to complain of dull aches deep in their legs, there is little consensus about what causes them. Mars has found that it helps to supplement their diet with calcium and magnesium supplements in kid-friendly powdered form, or foods that contain these nutrients.


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