Choosing the right beverage for your toddler can be a tricky task they are at that age where they are transitioning from milk and developing their tastes and senses.
This is also a crucial time in their growth cycle where they require all the nutrients and vitamins they can get.
So, what beverages can you give your toddler that come with more benefits than water but less sugar than most toddler-based drinks on the market.
Well, the answer to this question is herbal tea for toddlers. Yes, you heard that right … herbal tea for toddlers.
And yes, when I first heard this statement on my favorite childcare blog, I was a little taken back to but after I thought about it its very logical. Hear me out herbal tea comes with lots of health benefits which is why in recent years the industry has grown massively and there is now a tea out there for pretty much everything you can imagine from boosting iron to reducing inflammation.
So, it would stand to reason and be perfectly logical that we would want our toddlers to get the same benefits from teas that we can.
Although the herbal tea we consume and herbal tea for toddlers are slightly different the benefits and underlying idea remain the same to get the benefits of herbs and aromatics into your toddler’s body allowing them to benefit from the tea as nature intended.
So, what are the benefits of herbal tea for toddlers and should we be given them to our toddlers.
Benefits
Now each tea will come with its own range of benefits but let’s look at some of the popular options that are available for our children.
Chamomile – Chamomile tea is known predominantly for its relaxing properties this means that when given to a toddler it will help them relax. The practical application for this is that if your toddler is suffering from night terrors or having trouble sleeping them chamomile tea could be the perfect option and will avoid you having to visit the doctor and give your toddler sleeping pills. Chamomile tea will make for a much more natural and less intrusive way to deal with toddlers who have trouble sleeping.
Peppermint tea – Peppermint tea has been credited with soothing upset stomachs, sore throats and even motion sickness. Peppermint is however quite an acquired taste and can be quite strong so make sure you test out how strong the particular one you have is before giving it to your toddler.
Ginger tea – is probably the most well know herbal tea out there. Ginger tea is known to help with nausea and stomach issues again like peppermint the ones we consume as adults are quite strong in my experience so just make sure to test the one you have purchased for your toddler.
Where can I buy it?
While some stores will stock a tea section for children, I found the widest selection of herbal tea for toddlers on the internet. By simply searching for herbal tea for toddlers I was met with hundreds if not thousands of results of companies offering every version of herbal tea you can imagine.
Now you will want to take your time here and research what it is you are actually buying as there is such a range of herbal teas out there for toddlers and more and more companies getting in on the act you will be amazed how many options you have to choose from.
I found it best to play it safe and stick to brands I recognize you will also find that if you happen to have a favorite type of tea or coffee manufacturer then they will more than likely have a range of herbal tea for toddlers this doesn’t mean your toddler will take to it straight away but should ease any nerves you may have about giving it to your toddler as you already consume a product from this company.
You can also check on forums for parents with toddlers as chances are someone will have already tried a bunch of teas with their toddler and may be able to advise a particular brand or range of herbal tea.
Summary
In summary herbal tea comes with lots of benefits that range from tea to tea. It is important to identify what you would like your tea to do for your toddler for example if they need to relax more then choose chamomile if they have stomach issues choose peppermint research is the key to success here.