teething tincture...

This is a combination of equal parts Bach Flower Rescue Remedy and Chamomile tincture.

The Rescue Remedy you'll have to go out & buy (the plants don't grow here), but Chamomile tincture is easy as can be to make at home. I like to use brandy, instead of vodka (yes, alcohol... read this for thoughts on using alcohol based preparations with kids...).

You'll make the tincture like this:

*Obtain 2 ounces of dried Chamomile. Remember the quality of the Chamomile you start with determines the quality of the finished product (though, Chamomile is one of those near indestructible herbs that seems to retain quite a bit of its potency even in the most adverse of conditions...).

*Put the Chamomile is a pint mason jar.

*Add 10 ounces of brandy. You'll want to smoosh the herb down with the back of a spoon or whatever to get it thoroughly saturated.

*Cap the bottle.

*Shake this a couple times a day for two weeks to a month.

*After that time, you can strain the finished tincture, squeezing out as much liquid as you can from the spent Chamomile.

Yup. That easy. If it seems like a lot of trouble to go through (though I don't know how that could be...) consider this: You'll probably get 8 ounces or so out of this (some will be unsqueezably trapped in the Chamomile), and if you were to go out and buy 8 bottles, it'd be around $80.

When your kid is teething, put a couple drops on your finger and rub it into the poor little thing's gums. Keep in mind, if your child already has some teeth, watch out! They're sharp (want to guess how I learned that?). You can also give the child a few drops of the tincture, if the perils to your fingers are to great to risk.

The Chamomile will help ease the pain and discomfort, is anti-inflammatory, and soothes the nerves. The Rescue Remedy will also help instill a soothing influence over the little one who wondering "What the *ell's happening to my mouth???" The alcohol acts as a local anesthetic.

This blend isn't just limited to teething; its really quite nice when your child is real irritable, either from the frustrations of infancy (but I like the cord coming out of the lamp...) or from being overtired.

Remember, though, while this is an effective calming remedy, it's not a drug, and won't just put the kid out. Sometimes the will of the child (or the WAAAAAA!!!!! of the child) is greater than the virtue of the herb. If your kids really all out wiggin', you'll have to weather the storm...