Back to school with Bach flower remedies
Can you still remember the mix of excitement and nerves as you prepared to go back to school after the long summer vacation? Someone bought you new shoes and school clothes and maybe a haircut so you’d be all set and ready to go. You have new stationery and a new bag and the feeling of anticipation is created. Everyone asked you about school, what class you would be in, who your teachers would be, and you began to feel the importance of what was to come.
The first day back and breakfast was a bit hard to eat because of the butterflies in my stomach. You arrived at the school and the first thing that struck you was the smell: freshly polished floors, freshly mixed powder paint, and disinfectant! Then there was the noise: echoing hallways, doors slamming, teachers’ shoes clicking on hardwood floors, excited voices, and a teacher yelling to be heard over the din. They lined up and entered their new classroom. Your teacher told you where to sit, you weighed up the teacher and the person sitting next to you, whether they liked it or not, and then your new school year began!
You either loved it or your stomach sank when you remembered what it was like.
It is exactly the same for your children. In the rush to get all of your school preparations in place, it’s easy to overlook how they may be feeling. Making sure your child is emotionally ready for school is just as important as making sure her shoes fit.
Talking obviously helps, but if your child is really scared or lacks confidence, what can you do? You feel helpless and frustrated because they are going through a difficult time and you can’t do anything about it. That’s where Bach flower remedies come in.
Bach flower remedies are amazing in the way they help your child cope with emotional ups and downs. They are safe, free of side effects and chemicals, and best of all, they work very fast! Children enjoy taking medicines and often make up their own names for them: ‘my magic drops’, ‘my trusty drops’ or ‘my Simba drops’ are some examples.
For best results, they should start taking remedies about a month before classes start so that the remedies work in time. Put 2 drops of each flower remedy in a drink of juice or water and do it 4 times a day. To help you remember, it is good to give the drops at mealtimes or at routine times. For example, breakfast, lunch, dinner, and bedtime. If your child takes the drops to school, put them in a drink bottle with their regular juice.
Here are some Bach flower remedies that will help your child adjust to school and learn well:
mimulus – for any fear or anxiety they can name about school. For example, fear of: going back to school, changing classes, certain teachers, bullying children, eating in the big hall where it is noisy, not knowing what to do, not knowing where to go, not knowing where the toilets are, talking in class, doing things wrong, being laughed at, children not wanting to be friends with them, getting into trouble, etc. If your child can name a fear, then he needs to take Mimulus. It is also the remedy for shyness, blushing and stuttering.
Mimulus will help them not to be afraid. This is different from being brave: courage implies that you have to be brave because you are still afraid. Mimulus takes away your fear so that you are in a state of neutral calm.
larch – Due to lack of confidence. If your child has low self-esteem or lacks confidence in her abilities; if they give up quickly; if they say “I can’t do… math, spelling, Spanish, etc”; if they give up on a subject when they get low test scores; if they always need you close; if they don’t want to do things for themselves and want you to do it for them, for example, call a friend; if they don’t try because they feel they will fail; if they always compare themselves with their friends; if he is a second son and feels inferior to the eldest son; if they struggle in social situations or in new experiences.
Larch will give you self-confidence without worrying about failure and help you develop your talents. He will help them learn social skills, make friends, and not need him all the time. When they encounter obstacles or get ‘stuck’ in certain subjects at school, they will try again and not give up. Larch opens the world because “I can’t” is no longer part of his mindset.
chestnut bud – to help them learn from their mistakes. This is a great remedy for children with learning difficulties or blocks with certain subjects. I used to with my son to help him with spelling and it is a great help for kids with dyslexia.
Combine this with the TFT exercise of hitting the PR dot for brilliant results. Have your child play the karate part of one hand with the fingers of the other, as if one hand is clapping into the side of the other hand. This releases energy blockages that make learning difficult. For example: it helps if you confuse left and right or if you say the opposite of what you mean; helps you visualize a word for spelling; help if you can’t remember something; it helps if you write or type words in the ‘wrong order!’
Chestnut Bud helps if your child is careless or clumsy; if they keep repeating the same mistakes; if they don’t listen in class; if they learn slowly; if your mind is always two steps ahead; if they have clothes they need to break.
The remedy will help them to be mentally alert, listen carefully, pay attention and enjoy learning.
Chicory – if your child is clingy, possessive or makes emotionally unreasonable demands. Some kids find it hard to break ties with mom and dad when they start school, and some parents find it hard to let go! When I was teaching, I have seen children holding their parents’ arms as they hugged each other crying. If you feel this way, both you and your child should take this remedy!
If your child needs chicory, he may be possessive of his friends and get grumpy or hurt if his friends play with someone else. They can be opinionated and argumentative and use a bit of emotional blackmail. “I’ll be your friend if…” I’ll love you if… ” If Needed Chicory, relationships tend to be very conditional.
Chicory will help your child to love unconditionally and be selfless and independent.
Nut – to cope with change. Walnut is there to help with all the changes that come with a new school year. He will help your child adjust to a new class, a new teacher, a new set of subjects, a move to a new school, or a new neighborhood. He will help break ties with the past, for example, “But I loved my former teacher, I want to stay with her!” or “I want to go to my old school!” Walnut helps them move forward and adapt to change.
This remedy is also useful if your child is easily influenced by other people or is “spellbound” by a stronger personality. It helps them to be true to themselves and stick to what they know to be right.
White Chestnut – for worrying about school that prevents them from sleeping. If her son lies in bed at night and has difficulty falling asleep or wakes up at night because he is worried about something, then White Chestnut will give him a calm mind. Pair with Rescue Remedy for a great night’s sleep.
White Chestnut is for those uncontrollable worries that go round and round in your head like a stuck record. The remedy gives you excellent concentration, a calm mind, and worry is replaced with positive thinking.
Bach flower remedies will give your child the best possible start to their new school year by removing all their worries and giving them the confidence to do it.
Lynne Rourke (BFRP) is a Bach Foundation Registered Professional with many years of experience working with families with young children. She was an Early Years Teacher for 29 years and brings her experience in the area of child development to her therapy work.
