Sensitive children

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Some children have a nervous system that seems to be highly aware and quick to react. They pick up on subtle changes and like to think carefully before taking action. Sensitive children are easily overwhelmed by lots of stimulation, sudden changes, and other people’s emotional distress. Some of these sensitive children can be a challenge to parent because they are quite active, emotionally intense, demanding, and persistent but other sensitive children are calm, turned inward, and almost too easy to parent. Where do you get help with these children?

When you are looking for help, you will find ‘Challenging Children: Success with Homeopathy’, tells many inspiring stories about Australian kids and offers hope to everyone working and living with sensitive children. The following excerpt is from page 142 and it tells the story of Angela and her natural medicine treatment.

Angela always has something wrong, she’s always at the doctor. How to explain? The simple fact is that Angela is a highly sensitive person and a very fortunate one in that her parents have come to understand and allow for this trait in her nature.

According to Elaine Aaron, author of ‘The Highly Sensitive Person’, approximately 10-15% of people are exceptionally sensitive by nature, a trait which is neither recognised nor greatly valued by our culture. Hence, there is a perception that sensitivity is mainly problematic.

In Angela’s case she is overstimulated by a trip to the seaside, traumatised by rolling out of bed, distraught and distressed by the birth experience, whilst each unresolved stress leads directly into the next bout of illness. As her mother puts it, “she has a big problem with the outside world, experiences are too big and she can’t digest them”.

We can see now that Angela is an impressionable child in many ways. When she had the chickenpox she took longer to recover than other children and she had three times as many blisters as her sister. Typically, chickenpox is a mild illness and symptoms usually go away without treatment. Sensitive children may be affected more severely. Angela seemed to be almost over it, when a few days later she developed a fever, a cough and an ear ache. The remedy Hyoscyamus M helped her through this stage. Then to help clear the chickenpox she was given Varicella 200. The remedy Varicella is a homeopathic dose of chickenpox and it is a helpful remedy for someone who has never been well since chickenpox and it enables them to bounce back.

Some of these illnesses and experiences are major triggers, and would upset many children’s health. Others are far more minor such as a small tumble or a trip to the seaside. It has taken consistent observation over a period of 12 months to reach this conclusion. With this understanding it is now possible to give Angela a deep acting homeopathic remedy.

The remedy chosen was Mercury 200c, commonly known as quicksilver in days gone by. Although mercury is a metal it exists as a liquid and needs to be kept in a container. When mercury is spilt, it breaks up into a great many globules that scatter all about. Children who need homeopathic Mercury can be all over the place. Because of being ‘scattered’ they will crave routine, structure and familiarity, as Angela does, to give them enough shape for their sense of security to develop. They also have a wild side.

Angela is a handfull, she hurts herself all the time. She runs with her chest out, into the world then falls over. She is a villain – she has the urge to do whatever she likes. She wants to get out there. Her mother has to pin her down to change her nappy and gets a kick in the stomach for her trouble. She’s not so interested in people, doesn’t like them looking at her, but anything on the floor goes in her mouth. When she’s tired she wants to be carried, then she wriggles and kicks when she wants to be put down. She spits out her food.

Here is what her Mumma had to say after the remedy Mercury: “I kept giving it to her and giving it to her. She is so much happier and her cough and sore throat are better. She is more careful of herself and gestures now to get down from a height. She is a delight and I’m in love with her again. Nothing becomes extreme, her sleep is better and she handles herself better. She likes things just right. Things are big for her but she hasn’t had any sickness in a long while. It’s her birthday coming up (2nd), I know she’ll be fine since I’m giving her Mercury once a month.”

Mercury is just one of many homeopathic remedies that can help the highly sensitive child. Such a person will always be sensitive yet may grow up to be a perceptive, deep feeling and reflective adult. ‘The Highly Sensitive Person’ by Elaine Aaron is a good read. It provides an understanding that allows sensitive people to monitor their own energies so that they are not continually wound up, overstimulated and unwell. Parents who read the book gain valuable insight into the management and nurturing of sensitive children.

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This excerpt of Angela’s story is by homeopath Linda Beaver, who practices in Stanmore, Sydney. Linda is a key contributor to the book ‘Challenging Children: Success with Homeopathy’ which is available for $24.95. The book gives a contemporary look at real cases of Australian kids who have been helped with homeopathy for conditions such as ADHD, autism, tantrums, anxiety and concentration problems.The cases are easy to relate to and offer inspiration, insight and hope to everyone working and living with challenging children: parents, teachers and health practitioners alike.

Linda is frequently called upon to treat sensitive children and their family. The Harbord Homeopathic Clinic refers patients from Newtown, Enmore, Petersham, Leichhardt, Stanmore and the Inner West of Sydney to Linda Beaver.