Homeopathy can be so helpful for children! Every mother should be aware of these four most important remedies for babies and young children for peace of mind at home. Here you will learn the "ABC's of the nursery." 

Why are these remedies called the "ABC's of the nursery?" It is based on their first letters: Aconite, Belladonna, and Chamomilla. There is also one extra very important remedy that belongs with this group that you will learn about as well.

You can learn all about these homeopathic remedies in the video below, or skip down to read the descriptions.

Belladonna: redness and throbbing 

Belladonna is another remedy that is good in sudden high fevers, similar to Aconite. However a child who needs Belladonna may have a red, hot face. The child’s eyes may be glistening and the pupils may be dilated.
Interestingly , with all the heat and redness, the hands and feet may feel cold to the touch.
In children who need Belladonna, you will find intense heat in the area affected such as a throbbing red ear, especially if it is right sided, or a red sore throat. The pain may be pulsating or throbbing and there may even be delirium nightmares or hallucinations associated with the high fever.
A child who needs Belladonna might crave lemonade or cold drinks. Symptoms may become worse at around 3:00 PM or might start around 11:00 AM and then really hit a peak at 3:00 PM.
Conditions that need Belladonna may have started by being exposed to a change in temperature such as suddenly becoming chilled or becoming overheated. One of the famous symptoms we find in our homeopathy books describes ailments that come on after washing the hair, because during hair washing, the head gets hot and then cold again. This is an important remedy to keep around for those times that a red throbbing inflammation or infection suddenly comes on with an accompanying high fever. 

You can learn all about Belladonna in our Basic Program.

Chamomilla: cranky and irritable

When your child seems irritated and angry with everything and nothing makes them happy, it is a sign that they could need the homeopathic remedy Chamomilla. This remedy is known to help children who are feeling very irritable, whether from teething or tummy aches.

 
When a child is in this state, they may not want to be touched and may be impossible to console. Alternatively, they may want to be carried and cry angrily if they are put down.

 
The child who needs Chamomilla can be oversensitive to pain. Every pain seems unbearable. They may ask for something and then angrily throw it away when they get it.

The main complaints that Chamomilla addresses include diarrhea, teething, ear infections, and even toothache in older children. The diarrhea may be green in color and, especially if it comes about during teething, Chamomilla may offer incredible relief.
You may notice when your child is in this state that one cheek is red and the other is pale and in general they may be worse at around 9:00 in the morning or else nine in the evening. And now for our last remedy:

Pulsatilla: weepy and clingy

If your child is not feeling well and becomes unusually weepy and clingy, she may need Pulsatilla. This remedy can help children are craving love and affection. In fact they may even ask mom or dad “do you love me?” They really want reassurance and comfort.

With Pulsatilla, the child may feel worse in a warm stuffy room and then do much better when a window is open or when they are outside in the open air or in a gentle breeze. They may become worse at around 2:00 or 4 in the afternoon and in general feel better during cool crisp weather.

A child might need Pulsatilla after getting a tummy ache from eating unusually rich or fatty foods This is also a good remedy in colds or other viral infections that include a bland or even green discharge from the nose. It can also help with conjunctivitis an infection of the eyes.

Similar to the other remedies we have discussed earlier, Pulsatilla can be a very helpful remedy with ear infections. The pain may be pulsating as it is in Belladonna, but the child who needs this remedy may be weepy and clingy. Pulsatilla can also address glue ear when there is a discharge coming out from the ear during a middle ear infection.
When a child needs Pulsatilla, they may be thirstless, and crave foods such as butter, cheese, and creamy things such as peanut butter.

How to use homeopathic remedies

I suggest using these remedies in a 30C potency. They are readily available at Whole Foods, your local health food store or online. Homeopathic remedies are inexpensive and keep well as long as they are stored away from sunlight, and temperature extremes. If your child is not feeling well and the symptoms fit one of these remedy pictures, you could try a dose of 3 pellets and see if there is any improvement within an hour or two. Do not repeat a remedy if it hasn't helped.

I hope you find these remedies useful, as generations of moms and families have. Homeopathy is so helpful for children!