I’ve seen those perfect social media accounts.
You know the ones that make you feel like a failure as a parent!
The ones that make you feel like you shouldn’t even try because you’ll never come close to giving your kids that kind of learning experience.
Sometimes I get caught up in the beautiful photos and forget that they only show a composite image.
And I forget.
So I stop, take a deep breath and remind myself:
You don’t have to do everything perfectly!
Teaching Herbal Medicine to Your Kids (or Whatever) –
You don’t have to know it all perfectly!
Just knowing the name of a plant is a good start.
But honestly, you don’t even need to know the name of a plant to teach your kids about herbal medicine.
Learning to identify a plant is a great skill to acquire.
And like all great skills, it takes time and practice.
Grab a few plant ID books specific to your region and get outside!
And showing your kids that you don’t know everything yet and are still learning is a valuable life lesson for them, as is learning the plant ID skills!
So before you label yourself as a failure and give up before you even start, just start!
Herbology is learned plant by plant.
Want some tips to get started?
Start with a notepad and pencil and go outside with your kids. If you have those identity books, take them with you. You may also want to bring a camera to photograph plants you don’t know for future identification
Now start walking around your environment – whether it’s your backyard, an empty lot in a city, or a local park – and examine all the plants.
Start with the ones you know and make a list.
To look up! Which trees do you see? Write them down too.
And don’t forget the bushes.
Next, you may want to tackle the plants you don’t know and try to identify at least one new plant. Be absolutely sure of your identification. I will write a future article on tips for identification.
Once you have a handful of plants on the list, sit down with your kids and decide which plants you want to learn more about.
Hopefully the answer is ALL!
Limit those choices to one plant. Some ways to decide which plant to choose include:
- Is it plentiful at your location?
- Is it in season? that is, is it ready to bloom or in bloom? did it just come out of the ground? Has it already gone to seed and is it now dying?
- Are you 100% sure you identified it correctly?
- Is it a plant that seems interesting to you and your children?
- Is it easily accessible?
Once you’ve chosen your plant, it’s time to start doing the research.
You can often find herbs in the library. Online can also be a great source of information.
However, keep in mind that information found both in books and online can sometimes be wrong or outdated. So it is always important to check different sources.
Look for a date for publication.
Has the book been revised or updated?
Do they list their sources of information so you can do further research?
You will often find multiple websites with exactly the same wording. Someone copied someone else, so view these sites with caution, especially if you don’t know who the original author was.
I’ve also put together more than 130 herb ebooks that give you reliable information, plus fun games and activities your kids (and you!) can do to reinforce what they’re learning about the plant. Find them here: https://herbalrootszine.com/product-category/herbal-roots-zine-issues/
You can also join online community groups and start a discussion about the plant. People love to share what they’ve learned!
Support your learning with our online herbal learning community called Herb Club. In Herb Club you have access to all the herbal learning materials so you can dive as deep as you want. You’ll also have the support of a wonderful community of learners (both parents and children) and you can join our live group chats where we discuss plants and answer any questions live.
Herb Club also has a comprehensive curriculum, video lessons, and bonus tools that allow parents to teach their children herbalism even as they learn about it themselves.
To learn more, watch an informative video about Herb Club, preview the teaching modules, and get involved, go here: https://herbalrootszine.com/membership-description/
So if you’re new to herbal medicine, or just don’t feel confident teaching it to your children, help is available!
Remember, you don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be present.