Your homeopath will also consider your child's temperament and the way she responds emotionally to illness. Does your child want hugs and cuddles, or prefer to be left alone? Does your child become whiny and demanding when ill, or quiet and passive? Does she sleep a lot, or become restless and wakeful? Does she want the window open to admit cool, fresh air, or does your child feel chilly even snuggled under a cozy comforter?

How you respond to your sick child is something else your homeopath will ask you to reveal. When a child is ill, some parents become irritated and annoyed, some nervous and anxious. The very fortunate have a deep well of calm and certainty on which to draw. Be truthful when your doctor inquires about this. Emotional responses are not something you necessarily control consciously. Faced with a hectic schedule, many parents have difficulty mustering up as much patience as they would like to comfort and nurture a sick child. All of the physical and emotional factors surrounding your child must be taken into account in determining the appropriate remedy. Because the emotional response of those around an ill child will unavoidably have an impact on her, your homeopathic physician may prescribe a helpful remedy for the primary caregiver as well.

Treating Your Child with Homeopathic Remedies
Of all the remedies commonly used in the various medical protocols, homeopathic remedies are unique in that they are symptom-specific. That is, the correct remedy is determined not by the disease, but by the specific complex of physical and emotional symptoms your child is experiencing. The choice of homeopathic remedies takes into consideration the temperament and emotional response of the patient, as well as the most minute details of her physical condition.

For example, the cold that infects your child and a neighbor's child may be caused by the same virus, but each child will exhibit a unique set of symptoms and emotions. One child may have a headache and a runny nose, feel completely exhausted, and want to eat when not napping. The other may be clogged and congested, feel restless, be unable to sleep, and refuse food. Consequently, these two children, although infected by the same virus, will require entirely different remedies.

Homeopathy respects the complexity and uniqueness of each individual. To identify the correct homeopathic remedy, you must carefully observe your child's unique-even quirky-behaviors and responses. Choosing the appropriate remedy requires a parent or homeopathic physician to match the child's symptoms, both obvious and subtle, with the remedy.

Based on your child's overall physical, emotional, and mental constitution, your homeopathic physician may prescribe a constitutional remedy. An appropriate constitutional remedy can help prevent illness, as well as maintain and support optimal health. For example, if your child is subject to recurrent ear and nose infections, colic, allergies, or digestive disorders, a constitutional homeopathic remedy may be extremely helpful.

The correct constitutional remedy will help strengthen and stimulate the vital life force. Your child's response to the remedy will be at once subtle and profound, on the physical, emotional, and mental levels. Prescribing a constitutional remedy is a complicated art, however. To discover the most helpful constitutional remedy for your child, consult a homeopathic physician.