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The 15 Habits Of Natural Mamas Who Take Charge Of Their Children's Health (aka… The Growing Up Herbal Manifesto)

The 15 Habits Of Natural Mamas Who Take Charge Of Their Children's Health (aka... The Growing Up Herbal Operating Manifesto) | GrowingUpHerbal.com

If you’re new here or in case you haven’t noticed yet, I believe that we all need to take charge of our lives and our children’s health. That may mean doing exactly what your child’s doctor says or taking the road less traveled. Either way, it definitely means being involved in their health, making informed choices, and understanding what’s going on with your child’s body.

Now you may be thinking, “Where on earth do I start!” 

Parent’s who are responsible for their child’s health have certain habits that got them there. They did certain things to become experts in this area.

Over the past 10 years, I’ve been on my own journey to better health. Was I sick before? No, but I wasn’t healthy either. I was definitely on the path that can lead to sickness. Now I’m on the same journey again, only this time it’s for my kids, and I thank God daily that I’ve came across this information and this lifestyle before having kids so that I could do the best I can for them.

Over the coming months we will learn in more detail about each of these habits, but for now, let’s just start with the road map. If we’re going to stand up and take charge of our health, then below are the steps we’ll need to take.

I’ll call them a way of life.

They’re our guiding principles – an operational manifesto, if you will.

They make up the foundation of Growing Up Herbal. They make up the beliefs and attitudes that guide every natural mama who’s “grown up” their children’s health.

Make them your own, and watch what happens!

The 15 Habits Of Natural Mamas Who Take Charge Of Their Children’s Health (aka… The Growing Up Herbal Operating Manifesto)

1. Try new things. In order to take charge of your child’s health, you’re going to have to let go of “traditional”. You’re going to have to be open to learning about new things. That’s how we as a people have grown. If we never tried anything new, if we continued to do things the same way, we’d still be using the bathroom in a hole in the ground and making our clothes from animal skins. Live outside of your comfort zone, and don’t underestimate the importance of being a beginner.

2. Know your children. You know your child best. Not your BFF, not your doctor, not the blogger 1000 miles away. You know if something is going on with your little one because you’re mom. You can see it. You can feel it. Trust your intuition. If something is off, you’re probably the first to know. Don’t ignore it. Look into it. Get to know what’s going on with your child’s body. When does your child feel best during the day? What things make them feel sluggish? When do they break down? Know your child! You are mama!

3. Learn from those around you. Be observant. If there are people around you who have raised their children a certain way, what are the results that have come from their choice lifestyle? What can you learn from that? Talk to them. Every interaction is a chance to learn something that either fires you up or makes you want to run away. Knowing one is just as beneficial as the other. Embrace your surroundings, learn from them, and make a choice.

4. Assume there’s another way. Don’t do things just because everyone else says you should or because that’s what we do now-a-days (see the Mark Twain quote above). Find out the “why” behind it and make the choice to do it or not to do it for yourself. If you choose not to do something, know why, and search for an alternative to getting the results you’re after. Remember, you are here for a purpose and so is your child. In order to fulfill that purpose, you both are going to have to feel good enough to do it. Health matters!

5. Take it one day at a time. Learning about nutrition, health, the body, sickness and disease, modern medicine, and alternative therapies is a never-ending process. Implementing what you learn is a daily choice. Take it one day at a time. Take one step and then another. Never feel that you have to do everything all at once. And know that keeping things simple and easy will take you further than overwhelming yourself with everything all at once.

6. Be in a continual state of learning. Life is an adventure. It’s a series of trial and error. If you want answers you have to search for them. No one person knows what’s best for your child. Like I said before, you know them best. You know when they feel good and when they feel bad. You know when something isn’t right. Other people may have great insight, but they’re a part of your team, not the captain of it. You’re the captain. You’re the head honcho. The more you search, learn, experiment, and test, the more answers you’ll find.

7. Be open-minded. Some things you come across are going to go against the grain. They’re going to be totally opposite of what you’ve always heard and known to be right. They may not make sense… at all… at first. The trick is to break down those walls of resistance you’ve built and to be open-minded enough to take a closer look before making a quick decision. Give it a try. See for yourself. You never know what doors of opportunity you’ll open.

8. Believe in yourself. Know why you want to take charge of your child’s health. Do you think there’s a better way? Are you sick and tired of seeing your kiddo being sick and tired? Do you see friends and family members children struggling with health problems that don’t need to be? Why do you want to take this journey with your child? You can do it, but it’s a choice and the choice is yours to make.

9. Practice makes perfect. Like anything in life, the more you do it, the easier becomes, and the better you get at it. It’s the same with your child’s health. The more you learn, the more you implement into your life. You take what you can do at the moment, and you leave out the rest.

10. Pick your surroundings wisely. From the food you feed your child to the habits of the friends they’re around, the things you surround your child with will influence them for better or for worse. If their surroundings are encouraging, they’ll be encouraged and motivated to make good choices. If their surroundings are tempting, they’ll be negatively influenced and more likely to make choices that aren’t so good for them.

It’s also helpful if those around you are on board with your choices and are willing to help influence your children in a positive way. Like Jim Rohn said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”. There’s no room for doubters and discouragers. Now obviously, this habit can be a struggle if dad or if your mom or mother-in-law aren’t totally with you, but give it time. Stay patient. Keep your temper. Be a good influence and share the information you learn with them. You never know. You may win them over too!

11. Focus on the journey, not the end result. Like anything, learning about health and healing takes time, but the journey itself is so rewarding. It may feel like you’ll never get there. You may think you’ll never learn it all. It may seem that you can never do all you’re supposed to do. Sometimes it’s the process, not the outcome that matters. Embrace the process and everything looks brighter!

12. Welcome change. How else are you going to make things happen. In order to make anything better, change must happen. Your job is to be open to it and expect it.

13. Model excellence. Who’s already doing what you want to do? No matter what the goal you have in life, there’s almost always someone else who’s doing it and is where you want to be. Find them, learn from them, and make their success your success.

Find models for everything in life. Take note of the good and the bad. Adopt the good and drop the bad. With the right models the possibilities are endless.

14. Teach others. One of the best ways to learn something is to teach it to someone else. Take one thing that you’ve learned, break it down, simplify it, and then share it with a mom friend of yours. It doesn’t really matter who it is though. It could be your best friend, your cat, or yourself in the mirror. Just repeating it with help solidify it in your mind. Be generous with your knowledge and always strive to help others.

15. Take action on what you learn. None of the above matters if you don’t get out and do something with it. Nothing will result from reading a book, a blog post, or having a conversation with the newest health guru. The outcome doesn’t happen through the learning. It happens in the action you take as a result of the learning.

Learning is a very important step, but it’s just the first step. Action must follow for the learning to mean something. Everything here at Growing Up Herbal comes back to this. You have to take action. Just start.

Habits define outcomes.

These are the habits of mamas that get things done… the ones that make a difference. Practice these daily. Make them routine. They are the groundwork of what’s to come.

Get them right and the outcomes will leave you satisfied.

You’re child’s good health won’t last forever. It’s time to get a move on it and take charge of their health so the next 10 years or more are the best they can be.

Now it’s you’re turn – what are your thoughts?

This is a community and I want to know your thoughts. I take comments very seriously, I respond to each and every one of them, and sometimes I even use your ideas in future posts. Please share at least a sentence and add to the community. 

What beliefs about your child’s health do you live by? What are you struggling with? Leave it in the comments below. I’m here to help you in any way I can.

If you liked the manifesto, please share it on Facebook and Twitter via the links below, and be sure to use the Pin It button on the image above to pin it to Pinterest!

  1. Jeanie says:

    All I can say to this is AMEN!

  2. Elena says:

    Thank you, this is written beautifully, from the heart, and goes straight in 🙂

  3. pati says:

    I have toyed with herbs for about 30 yrs. Working in an upscale café and owning one myself allowed me to play and see what I come up with. Soap making was a joy to me but in the last 4 yrs. I have had to give it up due to an illness that keeps me from working. BUT it has allowed me to do what I have always wanted to herbal medicine, and it has not only been a lot of fun but a real learning experience. I am having a blast with an herb garden and taking my 4 yr old gr daughter to “pick medicine” as she calls it. She says she wants t make medicine like Mamaw…looks like its gonna stay in the family…natural medicine and salves beat all the drug store types and a lot cheaper but best of all you know what your getting.

    • Meagan says:

      Good for you Pati, and I love that you’re teaching it to your little granddaughter. My grandmother used to tell me stories of using herbs when she was younger, and it always peaked my interest. Thanks for your comment!

  4. Jessica Cowan says:

    I am a new reader of your blog and greatly appreciate the abundance of information you share here. I would like to learn more about herbal and natural medicines, but for me the struggle is getting my husband to support this. Any suggestions on how to do this? I’m thinking that I’ll just have to try some herbal remedies out and when they work, perhaps that will help change my husband’s mind.

    • Meagan says:

      One of the things that worked for me… and getting my husband on board… was learning about herbs and sharing what I was learning with him as well as sharing success stories other people had with them. Another thing was just making and using herbal remedies on myself and my kids, then suggesting them to him when he needed them. He would see that I was passionate and committed, and that’s what got him on board. Although we rarely ever go to the doctor… if he does think he needs to go for some reason, he’ll always ask me about it first and do what I suggest before going to the doctor. Hope that helps some. Just keep learning and it will rub off on him… just don’t force it!

  5. pati says:

    I guess I am really blessed because my hubby is into the “saving money” and knowing his Grandmother and Great Grandmother, Great Aunts and so on lived by herbs. We are both on a lot of meds, he has had heat by-passes and is a diabetic and me with the RA and Lupus and hypothyroidism we are sooooooo ready to me rid of the meds and I am doing it one by one. Plus by the time the docs cures work something else comes up…so I try the herbal 1st. and supplements . I have made several salves already and one friend said that one of them that I made worked great on shingles, something that wasn’t even mentioned for the salve. Always great to see an add on to what already works for others.

    • Meagan says:

      Good for you for trying to go natural Pati. Herbs are all about balancing the body. So many things we do today throw our bodies out of balance so using herbs is a nice, gentle way to bring balance back over a period of time. They’re not a quick fix… they’re a commitment. I hope you continue to get off the meds and your bodies recover from the illnesses you’re experiencing. Thanks for sharing!

  6. Taking says:

    Hi,
    I really enjoyed this article. I have been learning about alternative remedies for about 2 years now. I am wondering how to go about replacing meds with herbs? I am on thyroid hormones and Premarin from a hysterectomy. I am only 36, and haven’t felt great since I started with these powerful meds. I just want to feel good again! My family deserves a healthier, happier me.

    • Meagan says:

      My suggestion if you want to heal your body with herbs in order to get off meds is to address your diet first, making it as healthy as possible, and work with a clinical herbalist which is an herbalist who sees clients to help them bring their body back into balance using herbs. I’d also look into working with a more natural minded doctor that specializes in thyroid issues as well. Sorry I can’t be of more help… I’m not a clinical herbalist.

    • pati says:

      I too am on Thyroid meds and Estrogen for the same reason. I was diagnosed with Lupus 2 yrs ago and it has attacked my thyroid. I am taking Sea Kelp to try and get my numbers down. I have been on the Estrogen for 24 yrs and too would like to be rid of it and am working on that next. 14 pills every morning is insane and one by one I will rid myself of the, Walmart cares natural estrogen and also a combo called Calms forte it works great on nervousness and may be a help to you. Good luck..will be praying you find what works for you.

  7. Monica says:

    I love the way you mention number 8…” Believe in yourself” it’s a big highlight in my books as a mother. I felt no one around me was understanding my situation and I’ve asked many professionals for their advice. Some I’ve tried and got little results, but if I had to do it all over again,I would put myself where I am today.. I really believe in good nutrition and herbs… Daily, I walk, making changes that has damage my immune system from measles in the past, today I believe I am slowly recovering.
    My advice to any young mother, believe in yourself, you know what is happening to your child better than anyone, trust God will guide you, Meagan is here for you too… I wish I had that and I wish I knew what I know today. I had it tough raising my child because I was sick all the time. Being a Mother is very special and a hard job. Believe in who you are, let your gut feelings tell you what to do. Learn from others, and do the best you can in any situation..
    Thank you Meagan for this wonderful write up…

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