Life happens. Toddlers walk into coffee tables, wasps crash picnics, and someone always eats one slice of pizza too many. After years of bumps, bites, and bellyaches, these are the remedies I’d never want to be without.

Think of this as a homeopathic first aid drawer. Small, mighty, and sugar pills are much more appreciated by kids than poor tasting medicines which come with twelve side effects.

The kit

1. Arnica: the “ouch, that’s going to bruise” remedy. If you only buy one, make it this. Bumps, bruises, goose eggs, sprains, and the shock that comes right after a fall. It’s my first thought for almost any knock to the body. Kids should come with a tube of it.

2. Apis: for when the wasp/bee wins. Stings and bites that are hot, red, puffy, and stinging, and feel better with something cold on them. Think “swollen like a balloon.” (Any sign of an allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face or throat or trouble breathing, is a 911 call, full stop.)

3. Aconite: for the big fright. Shock, panic, and fear after a scare or an accident. It’s also for illness that hits suddenly, often after being out in a cold, dry wind, with fear and restlessness. Use it early, in the first hours.

4. Belladonna: the red-hot one. Sudden heat, a flushed red face, and a throbbing head. Great for a headache after too much sun, or a fever that comes on fast with that hot, glowing face. These folks want the lights down and the volume off.

5. Chamomilla: for the tiny tyrant. Teething babies and earache kids who are furious with the world. One cheek red and one pale, wants to be carried, rejects everything you offer. If your child’s mood could curdle milk, think Chamomilla.

6. Nux vomica: the morning-after remedy. For the overdoer: too much rich food, too much coffee, too much of everything. Nausea, retching, a headache, maybe motion sickness, and a temper that could peel paint. Chilly, irritable, and very sensitive to noise and smells.

7. Arsenicum album: the food-poisoning friend. Vomiting and diarrhea, often both at once, with burning pains. The person is anxious, restless, chilly, and wants frequent small sips. It’s my go-to for “I knew I shouldn’t have eaten that.”

8. Ledum: for anything pointy. Puncture wounds, stepping on a nail, insect bites, a black eye. The keynote: the area feels cold, yet feels better with cold applications. That’s an odd combination, and odd is exactly what we look for in homeopathy. Also helpful with the aftermath of any kind of injection.

9. Hypericum: for nerve-y injuries. Shooting, zinging, electric pains, especially in fingertips, toes, and other nerve-rich spots. Slammed fingers in the car door? Hypericum. A dental visit that left the nerves complaining? Also worth considering.

10. Gelsemium: for the droopy flu and the nervous wreck. A flu that creeps in slowly, with heavy limbs, droopy eyelids, chills running up and down the spine, and little thirst. It’s also lovely for anticipation nerves: the night before the exam, the job interview, the big presentation, when your legs feel like jelly.

11. Bryonia: you just want to lie there forever. Aching pains all over your body, think flu. Slightest motion makes it worse. Painful dry cough. Very thirsty for big quantities.

Bonus: Calendula, the topical one. Calendula tincture, diluted with water (roughly one part tincture to four parts water), is my favorite for gently cleaning cuts and scrapes, and calendula cream or ointment is soothing on minor wounds. This one goes on the skin, not under the tongue.

How I take remedies at home

A few simple guidelines, because nobody wants to be squinting at a chart during a crisis:

• Potency. 30C is a common, practical home potency. (Lower ones like 6C or 12C work too.)
• Repeat by response. The worse the symptoms, the more often you repeat: every half hour to hour for something intense, every few hours for milder complaints.
• Stop when better. Once there’s clear improvement, stop. More is not more in homeopathy. If symptoms come back, repeat the same remedy.
• Change course. No change after about 4 to 8 doses? It’s probably not the right remedy. Pick another or reach out for help.
• When in doubt, wait. If you’re unsure whether to give another dose, hold off and watch.
• Write it down. Which remedy, which potency, what time. Trust me, you will forget. Notes are king!

If you’re under constitutional care with me, check in before taking an acute remedy. Sometimes your own remedy is the better choice.

Your kit, your way

Every family is different, and a kit tailored to yours is even better. If you’d like help choosing remedies for your household, or you’d like to look at those recurring “minor” things a little deeper, I’m here.

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