There are several easy antidotes for minor or temporary anxiety, which are effective for children at almost any age. These remedies, many based on traditional systems of healing, are noninvasive, largely inexpensive, and easy to implement. Also, note that yoga, massage, and aromatherapy are excellent quick fixes that are described in detail in Chapter 13.

The Turkey Sandwich Cure

Many people are familiar with the post-Thanksgiving “crash” which most attribute to overeating. It is more likely that the urge to snooze is a direct result of the turkey and mashed potatoes, which are often the centerpiece of the meal. Turkey is high in tryptophan, a naturally occurring amino acid that boosts serotonin and has a calming effect. Milk, especially when warmed, also contains high amounts of tryptophan. Eating these foods with a carbohydrate, such as potatoes, bread, or rice, increases the body's ability to use tryptophan. Therefore, in a pinch, a turkey sandwich and a glass of warm milk can quickly help your child to calm down. Other kid-friendly foods that contain tryptophan include peanuts and peanut butter, apricots, bananas, cottage cheese, and other low-fat dairy products.

Tea and Sympathy

Tea has long been used worldwide as an herbal and social remedy for calming, digestive, and other effects on the body. Chamomile is one of the most well known for sleep, and passion flower, lemon balm, and jasmine are also purported to have soothing effects. Valerian can also be used as a tea, though some experts warn that it should be used cautiously. The warming sensation of the tea, along with some quiet, supportive attention, may soothe both you and your child and allow you to wind down in times of anxiety. Even the ritual of preparing the tea can be grounding, if it is done mindfully. Just remember to check that it does not contain caffeine!

The Bath

Bathing has been used for millennia in many cultures to promote health, hygiene, and spiritual purification, and even socialization. The calming effect of the warm water, especially when combined with aromatic soaps and oils, music, and soft lighting, can alleviate anxiety and help with insomnia. Many parents use bathing as a part of the bedtime ritual. For younger children especially, bath time can be excellent for bonding, and a time to incorporate massage, or even breathing and visualization. Use your intuition, though, to make sure combining more than one approach at a time is not over-stimulating. You can encourage older children to use bathing independently for calming and also insomnia.

Shake and Dance

This technique, taken from the health realization approach, uses the body's activity to help the mind let go of tension, anxiety, and worry. All it requires is music, a few minutes, and the ability to let go of self-consciousness. To start, find some lively music with a good beat that you think your child would enjoy, or, depending on age, ask your child to pick a piece of music to “get the jitters out.” Play the music, and begin to very deliberately shake your body (do this with your child). Shake your hands, feet, arms, legs, head, torso, eyes, tongue, hair, and anything else you can! Do this for at least a minute or two; it's okay if you can't do the whole song. After shaking, if you like, you can then switch the music to something soaring, happy, uplifting, or calming. You and your child will both be surprised at how different you feel after this exercise, and the laughter that can result is good medicine in itself!