Children register stress and nervousness in different ways. For some, they may express stress by becoming restless or irritable. For others, stress can upset the digestive system, and they may complain of digestive discomfort.
To help children be at their best, helping them learn to manage the ups and downs of daily life can be beneficial. Strategies for dealing with stress can include:
- Teaching children to pause and identify the emotions they are feeling, then practice deep breathing techniques.
- Encouraging movement to calm the body. Gentle movement like going for a walk or engaging children in a colour scavenger hunt can be helpful.
- Supplementation, which can be beneficial in times when children need extra support.
Magnesium
While often associated with muscle health, magnesium is actually a key mineral for nervous system health and supports a healthy stress response in the body. Stresses, either physical or emotional, increase the need for magnesium as stress hormones (such as cortisol and adrenaline) increase the elimination of magnesium from the body[1].
Magnesium is found in both plant and animal foods, with most green vegetables, legumes, peas, beans and nuts being rich sources of magnesium.
The recommend dietary intake (RDI) of magnesium varies by age, with the below recommendations[2]:
- Children aged 1-3 years: 80mg/day
- Children aged 4-8 years: 130mg/day
- Children aged 9-13 years: 240mg/day
Chamomile
Chamomile is a beautiful herb with a long history of use in Western herbal medicine (WHM) for children. Its benefits are two-fold, supporting both digestive system health and nervous system health. Chamomile is traditionally used in WHM as a calmative and nervous system relaxant to soothe and calm nerves in children and to relieve restlessness and irritability. Similarly, it is traditionally used in WHM to relieve digestive spasm and reduce digestive discomfort, bloating and flatulence.
Herbs of Gold has a range of children’s products specifically formulated to suit growing little bodies. For all round nervous system support, Children’s Calm Care can be used in children aged 1 to 9. It contains the milk protein Lactium®, as well as a blend of magnesium and Chamomile in a forest-berry flavoured chewable tablet for compliance. Alternatively, if you just want to boost magnesium intake, there is Children’s Magnesium Care, containing 80mg of well-absorbed magnesium in a delicious strawberry-vanilla flavoured chewable tablet suitable for children aged 4 and up.
Always read the label and follow the directions for use.
[1] Schutten, J. C., Joris, P. J., Minović, I., Post, A., van Beek, A. P., de Borst, M. H., ... & Bakker, S. J. (2021). Long‐term magnesium supplementation improves glucocorticoid metabolism: A post‐hoc analysis of an intervention trial. Clinical Endocrinology, 94(2), 150-157.
[2] Eat for Health. (2006). Nutrient Reference Values for Australia & New Zealand: Magnesium. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/nutrient-reference-values/nutrients/magnesium
