Bach Flowers for Children
Bach Flower Remedies are a respected system of healing that has been used worldwide since they were discovered by Dr. Bach from 1920-1930’s. The remedies will not alter the basic character of a child, but instead, bring about a return to equilibrium when a child is upset, unsettled, or unwell.
The Bach Flower Remedies are safe for children and are wonderful support when children are dealing with everyday fears, worries, daydreaming, self-esteem, sadness, school issues, self-acceptance, etc.
Children respond quickly to the Bach Flower Remedies because they have not had years of unresolved emotional imbalances. Parents who give Bach Flower Remedies to their children are often amazed by the positive effect the remedies have on their children’s emotional wellbeing. Screaming children find sudden relief, shy and fearful children find courage, impatient angry children find peace, and discouraged children find the will to go on.
The Bach Flower Remedies are made from wildflowers and are safe for the whole family including pets and children. There are no known side effects or allergic reactions.
The remedies are preserved in grape-based brandy and are gluten-free.
Bach Flower Remedies and Their Indications:
Agrimony is for the child who seems happy but isn’t. He hides his sadness, fear and unpleasant feelings behind a smile. He holds tears back, avoids quarrels and deal with his feelings by suppressing or displacing them, e.g. by comfort-eating. Agrimony can help the child to accept and vent his feelings.
Aspen is for the child with recurring fears. He is not quite sure what he is afraid of and prefers not to talk about it. A fear of the dark keeps him awake and he wants the light left on. If your child is having scary dreams or nightmares you can give him Aspen before bedtime. It will also help him if he tends to be apprehensive.
Beech is for the child who is easily annoyed by others. He is intolerant and critical. He is irritable and is sick to judge others. Beech will help the child who looks down on those he considers stupid or strange. It helps him to develop a greater understanding and tolerance of others.
Centaury is for the overly obedient child. He finds it hard to say no and is accommodating and complaisant. His friends may use him or talk him into things and he might be the class victim. The child feels bad about this, but avoids confrontation. Centaury can help the child to stand up for himself and be more assertive.
Cerato is for the child who doubts himself and needs constant reassurance. He doesn’t trust his own judgement and needs to hear that he is doing ‘everything right’. He tends to imitate the behavior of others. He wants to be correct and is easily swayed by other people’s opinions, thus losing sight of his own feelings and intuition. Cerato can help the child to become more self-assured.
Cherry Plum is for the child who loses his temper suddenly or suffers from uncontrollable tantrums. He is afraid of losing control, and yet might do something completely out of character. This remedy can also be used for children who throw themselves on the floor or bang their head against a wall. They try to be in control, but often don’t succeed. Cherry Plum can help the child develop more self-control and rid himself of his compulsion. It forms part of the Rescue Remedy and the Rescue Cream.
Chestnut Bud is for the child who doesn’t learn from his mistakes. He keeps on making the same mistakes and forgetting the same things. The child may fall behind at school due to a short attention span. Chestnut Bed can help him to learn from his experience and thus modify a recurring behavioural pattern.
Chicory is for the child who constantly seeks attention. He demands undivided attention and doesn’t like being alone. He will manipulate others, e.g. by using strategies such as bursting into tears. He is possessive and demanding and doesn’t like sharing. Chicory can help the child to feel better about himself.
Clematis is for the child who daydreams. He is inattentive, absent-minded and has a tendency to walk into things. He withdraws from reality and becomes totally absorbed in his own fantasies and games. The child lives in a world of his own and has little interest in his surroundings. He doesn’t seem really content. Clematis can help the child to live more ‘in the moment’. Clematis forms part of the Rescue Remedy and the Rescue Cream.
Crab Apple helps the child who is so particular and fastidious that he can become obsessive. He is very finicky about dirt and his own body. This cleansing remedy helps skin rashes, acne, sweaty feet, etc. Crab Apple also helps the adolescent who is uncomfortable with his changing body and can help him to accept himself the way he is. Crab Apple is one of the ingredients of the Rescue Cream, which can be applied externally for these problems.
Elm is the child who just feels overwhelmed. Perhaps he bit off more than he could chew or is burdened with too much work, e.g. around exam time. This remedy is for the child who feels that he can’t cope with his responsibilities at a particular time. Elm can help the child to gain strength and confidence to tackle whatever lies ahead.
Gentian is for the child who is easily discouraged and e.g. does not want to go to school anymore because of disappointing exam results. The child remarks upon something with enthusiasm, but gives up easily if he doesn’t succeed. This remedy is also for the depressed child, once you know why he is depressed. Gentian can help the child to regain his courage to deal with setbacks or difficulties.
Gorse is for the child who is in total despair, e.g. if he has suffered a long illness or failed an exam. He can’t ‘see the light at the end of the tunnel’ and has given up. Gorse can help him to be more optimistic.
Heather is for the child who talks about himself too much and always seeks attention. He is preoccupied with himself and shows no interest in others. He shows off and makes up stories. Other children ignore him and this makes him feel lonely. Heather can help restore a feeling of happiness and increase awareness and understanding of others.
Holly is for the moody, jealous or distrustful child. He may vent his feelings teasing or being aggressive towards other children. This remedy also helps the child who is jealous of the new baby. Holly can help the child to feel happier about himself and friendlier towards the children.
Honeysuckle is for the child who gets homesick when he is away from home for a while. When, e.g. he is camping, sleeping over or on a school trip he misses his parents and his own familiar surroundings. He may pine for past times or his old house, neighbourhood or school. He grieves for what was and is no more. Honeysuckle can help the child to let go of his past and live happily in the present.
Hornbeam is for the child who feels exhausted at the mere thought of doing something, e.g. having to return to school after the holidays. He may have that ‘Monday morning feeling’ and dread daily routine. Through lack of motivation he procrastinates and can’t work up much enthusiasm for anything. He can’t knuckle down to his homework. Hornbeam will encourage the child to put his heart into things.
Impatiens is for the impatient and irritable child. He gets bored easily and things just happen too slowly for him. If he can do his own thing he won’t try to manipulate others. His restlessness and haste can result in a certain nervousness. Impatiens can help reduce the child’s stress levels and make him more patient and understanding of other people’s ways. Impatiens forms part of the Rescue Remedy and the Rescue Cream.
Larch is for the child who doesn’t feel he can undertake anything on his own. He lacks the self-esteem to embark upon anything and needs a gentle push from his parents or teacher. This remedy helps the child who lacks self-confidence has an inferiority complex, fears failure, or is afraid of making a fool of himself. Larch helps the child to develop self-confidence and take that step forward.
Mimulus is for the child whose fears you are well aware of. he may be afraid of animals, ‘creepy crawlies’, water, for someone in particular, or an audience. He may also be afraid of going to the zoo or speaking up in class. The child feels ill at ease and is nervous. This remedy will also help the shy child who blushes or stammers. Mimulus can help the child to overcome his shyness.
Mustard is for the child who suffers from a terrible melancholy. He seems unable to be happy, as if there is something hanging over him. While there might appear to be no explanation for this, a subconscious irritation about a situation or a person could be the cause. Somethings this feeling can disappear as quickly as it arose, but often it returns regularly. Mustard can help the child to be more joyful and balanced.
Oak is for the child who always perseveres and has a great sense of duty. He works very hard and things e.g. that he has to finish his homework no matter what. He forces himself to endure hardships to the limit, even when it doesn’t make sense anymore. He thinks that he alone can solve his problems. Oak can help the child to find the strength to continue, without losing sight of his own needs.
Olive is for the child who is tired or exhausted e.g. after an illness. He is lethargic and lacks energy. He needs a lot of sleep, because he is over-tired. This remedy also helps when a child is worn out from school or too much studying. The child is devoid of energy and feels unable to cope. Olive can help the child to regain his vitality.
Pine is for the child who tends to feel guilty or is quick to assume blame for something he didn’t do. The child always thinks he is at fault when something goes wrong and feels he should have ‘done it differently or better’. Sometimes the child is ashamed of something from the past and is not able to let go of it. He has an over-active conscience or keeps on blaming himself. Pine can help the child to accept himself when things go wrong and stop holding himself responsible.
Red Chestnut is for the child who is overly concerned with other people’s welfare. He is afraid of what might happen to his parents when they are away. He can be overly protective towards his younger siblings. Sometimes he has learned this behaviour from an over-anxious parent. This child can become very unhappy when he always fears the worst for his nearest and dearest. Red Chestnut can help lessen the child’s concern and fear for others.
Rock Rose is for the child who has suffered at terrible fright, has panicked or is frozen with fear. This remedy also helps the child who wakes up screaming from a nightmare, suffers from an acute illness or has had an accident. Rock Rose can help the child to calm down. It forms part of the Rescue Remedy and the Rescue Cream.
Rock Water is for the child who is not happy with himself or expects too much from himself. He is a perfectionist and is never content with his achievements. He sets himself high standards and is not very flexible. The child has rigid views both of himself and others. He likes being the role model. Rock Water can help the child to be easier on himself.
Scleranthus is for the child who finds it hard to make choices. He wavers between all options. He is unstable, not grounded in his emotions, is capable of erratic behaviour and can suffer from mood swings. This remedy can also be effective for air, car or sea sickness. Scleranthus can help the child to be more balanced and more able to make choices.
Star of Bethlehem is for the sad and inconsolable child. This remedy can be used when the child is in shock, but also for dealing with past issues, such as brith trauma. It can be used on newborn babies (e.g. by adding it to the bath water) to reduce the impact of birth. Star of Bethlehem can help the child to cope with traumas and lessen sadness. It forms part of the Rescue Remedy and the Rescue Cream.
Sweet Chestnut is for the child who feels totally lost and alone, e.g. when he is going through difficult patch and can’t see away out anymore. His life seems unbearable. Use this remedy when the child feels utterly forlorn. Sweet Chestnut can help the child calm down and regain his faith in life.
Vervain is for the child who is very principled. He has a great sense of justice, which can make him too eager, tense and frustrated. Sometimes the child is unable to stop himself, fights sleep or is over-active. He has so much energy that he simply can’t slow down. Vervain can help the child to become more relaxed.
Vine is for the child who tends to dominate others, which may lead to aggressive behaviour. This remedy is useful when the child always wants to be the leader and always decides which game should be played. He wants to be in control all the time. Vine can help the child to respect other people’s feelings, so he can enjoy shared activities.
Walnut is for the child who finds it hard to face change, e.g. starting school, moving house or entering puberty. While he usually knows what he wants, he can be easily influenced by other people’s ideas and moods. Walnut can help the child to be more steadfast and better able to cope with change.
Water Violet is for the child who is withdrawn, remote and has poor communication skills, thus making him feel lonely and isolated. Je is not approachable and is not inclined to share his feelings. This remedy can be used for a child who plays on his own for hours on and without interacting with others. Water Violet can help the child to be more open and approachable.
White Chestnut is for the child who is unable to prevent recurring and unwelcome thoughts. This remedy can be used when these thoughts interfere with concentration or awareness, e.g. the child doesn’t notice when someone is addressing him or when they prevent sleep. White Chestnut can help the child to clear his mind again.
Wild Oat is for the child who doesn’t know what he wants. He can be indecisive and volatile. He is not quite sure which path to follow in life. This can result in discontentment and frustration. Sometimes he tries out various things, but tires of them easily. Wild Oat can help the child to determine what he really wants.
Wild Rose is for the child who does not enjoy life. He lacks motivation and has no enthusiasm for life, which can lead to negative behavaviour. The child usually surrenders to his fate. He is apathetic and unassertive towards other children. Wild Rose can help the child regain his zest for life.
Willow is for the discontented child. He appears bitter, angry and whinges and grumbles. It is not always clear why he behaves like this. He easily assumes the role of victim and can wallow in self-pity. This child finds it difficult to forgive and forget. Willow can help the child to be more positive.
