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Understanding Your Child’s True Nature

THERE’S NOTHING PARENTS pride themselves on more than knowing their children better than anyone—on occasion even better than they know themselves! How many times have you instinctively understood what’s best for your children based on your vast catalog of impressions and unmatched experiences with them? Your insights as a parent are powerful and allow you a kaleidoscopic view of who your children truly are moment to moment as the world turns around them and their environments shift. These luminous reflections reveal every dimension of what makes your children so innately special and give you countless insights into their true nature. Tuning in to these expressions with close attention is accepting the invitation to the unequaled journey of parenting with mindfulness and is a true gift to your children, just as they are a gift to you.

Parents instinctively note their children’s innermost strengths, talents, desires, and vulnerabilities, as well as remarkable differences between siblings from a very early age. In fact, the contrasts between children born in the same family is downright fascinating. Even a quick study can leave a parent wondering how one toddler can play happily on the beach all day in the hot sun while another quickly becomes red-faced and irritable. Much like two different seeds planted in the same soil, everything born on this earth carries its own specific true nature. You see this everywhere you go.

Your awareness of your children’s tendencies, characteristics, and dominant traits will allow you to discover your child’s true nature—the fundamental key to understanding and maintaining positive health and well-being according to Ayurveda. Not only will this give you the opportunity to implement wellness protocols according to your child’s unique constitution, it will help strengthen the connection between you and your children—something every parent strives for on each leg of the parenting journey. Let’s take a look through the Ayurvedic lens and learn how you can unlock your child’s potential.

Ayurveda’s most important tool for formulating daily lifestyle routines along with prevention and treatment plans is recognizing the inborn nature of a child. This fundamental principle invites you to heighten your awareness of the present moment and adopt parenting strategies at various stages of your children’s development that best complement and suit their inborn constitution. As you probably know from your own experience, medicine isn’t one-size-fits-all, and in the same way, there isn’t one way to parent any two children. On top of that, what works today won’t necessarily work tomorrow! Staying present while tuning in to your child’s unique mind-body expressions will not only bring you closer, but will also support you to be more proactive, flexible, and prepared for the multitude of situations that arise in your busy, often unpredictable life as a parent.

Prakriti

Ayurveda recognizes a person’s true nature as their prakriti, or constitution—the inseparable aspect of existence and unique nature of an individual. This constitution is established at the time of conception and remains the same throughout a person’s lifetime regardless of any impacts that arise from health or lifestyle. You might be wondering if your own constitution determines your child’s constitution, but prakriti arises on its own. Even if both parents have a vata constitution, as an example, it does not necessarily follow that their child will be vata-predominant. Prakriti does not indicate an imbalance or anything that needs fixing and will not cause any disease on its own. It is, instead, a blueprint for understanding your child’s bodily structures and functions along with their tendencies and affinities.

Why is it necessary to understand your child’s prakriti? Isn’t it enough that you know your child needs white noise and a certain stuffy to sleep, or the crust cut off their sandwich at lunchtime, or the tub filled with an exact ratio of bubbles to water if you want them to get in without a struggle? Yes and no. Every grain of knowledge and perception you have absorbed since the day your child was born will contribute to understanding their unique constitution, but there is more to explore. Knowing your children’s prakriti can pinpoint propensities for specific illnesses and disorders, for example. Tuning in every day to your child’s various expressions will cue you to any current imbalances, known as vikriti, that may be present and can even help prevent disease in early stages—in many cases, long before trouble arises. This essential Ayurvedic tool is your guide to recognizing and balancing the subtle channels of your child’s mind-body system so you can adapt to their constantly shifting needs.

Ayurveda discusses prakriti in terms of the three doshas we just learned about as the functional energies behind the physical body: vata, pitta, and kapha. The structural and functional nature of your child’s body systems along with their tendencies and affinities will vary to a great extent according to this prevailing energy. This is why understanding your child’s unique constitution is essential for determining Ayurvedic daily routines. Simply put, what is healthy for one child may not be healthy for another, even if they’re siblings. Let’s begin with a snapshot of the doshas.

If a child is born with a vata-predominant constitution, their nature will express more vata-related qualities and tendencies. These children can seem very active and comparatively restless to other constitutions because vata governs the principle of movement. It can be hard to sit still and relax when your mind-body system is always in a state of vibration. In the same way, you may notice expressions of heat and sharpness in children governed by pitta, the principle of fire and transformation. Out of balance, these children are prone to anger and jealousy, for example. Finally, kapha-dominant constitutions often exhibit marked calmness and endurance due to the governing energy of cohesion and binding. A kapha child often appears content and more patient than other children but, out of balance, may exhibit signs of laziness.

Ayurveda’s definition of health fundamentally rests on maintaining the unique and innate combination of the doshas you were born with. In other words, balance doesn’t mean striving for equal parts vata, pitta, and kapha, but rather sustaining the ratio your child was born with. Please keep in mind that one dosha is not better than the other and, in balance, every individual will express their highest vibration of potential across mind, body, and spirit.

As you learn to recognize different doshic expressions across your child’s mind-body system and study the Ayurvedic Constitution Charts on the following pages, you’ll be amazed to see how profound your insights as a parent have been all along! Chances are, you will discover that following your instinctive beliefs and solutions for how to best raise your children likely prove to be part of a parenting paradigm that perfectly aligns with your child’s constitution. After all, you know them best.

It is important to note that it is not necessary for your child to express all of the characteristics of a particular dosha. Dominant doshas are identified by recognizing predominant characteristics and qualities attributed to a specific constitution type and will be obvious to you as a parent. Once you spot this combination, you will be ready and able to adapt a multitude of simple strategies that can help you support optimal health using your child’s true nature as your guide.

The chart below summarizes the most common characteristics of vata dosha, along with aggravating factors, disorder tendencies, and principles of management.

Characteristics

Vata children are generally slim and slender and comparatively more difficult to nourish and build tissues; either short or tall with prominent joints.

General physical characteristics are oval face, small eyes, dry skin, thin hair, small joints (may crack often), and long fingers.

Variability is vata’s nature; their metabolism and sleep patterns are always changing.

They talk a lot, move a lot, and are generally restless most of the time; they use lots of hand gestures.

They attract other children with their talkative and expressive nature.

They are very intuitive, imaginative, and artistic. They enjoy writing poems, creating art, and dancing.

They are always on the go and love to travel.

The vata mind is like a busy bee, constantly buzzing around,

moving in circles. They are born worriers and often worry about anything and everything.

They often feel anxious and nervous. Many times, their mind is in the future, not enjoying the present moment.

Causes of Aggravation

Cold and dry weather; prone to aggravation in the fall season and early part of winter

Eating too many dry, bitter, pungent, astringent, light, or processed foods

Consuming cold food and beverages

Exposure to cold and wind

Listening to loud noise, bright lights, excessive TV or computer use Erratic sleep schedules

Fasting, irregular dieting; insufficient or interrupted sleep

Staying up late; holding on to natural urges such as the urge to urinate or empty bowels

Stress, fear, anxiety, insecurity, worry

Disorder Tendencies

Dryness of skin, hair, eyes, ears, lips, stools; bloating and gas; dehydration

Restless mind, flightiness; dizziness, thinness, tendency to be underweight

Cold body, poor circulation, muscle cramps, constriction, tightness, pain, asthma

Cracking of skin and lips

Irregular movements, shivering, muscle twitching, fear, anxiety, insecurity

Restlessness, fast actions, chatter, fidgeting Racing and agitated mind

Principles of Management

Favor sweet, sour, and salty tastes.

Avoid cold food and beverages, minimize leftovers, and enjoy warm, moist meals.

Ensure optimal hydration by drinking warm water, broths, and soups.

Incorporate rich, healthy fats into diet such as olive oil, avocado oil, sesame oil, and clarified butter.

Apply natural moisturizers and heavy oils to the body 20 minutes before bathing or after thoroughly dry from shower.

Avoid overexertion from exercise; engage in relaxing board games and low-intensity activities.

Go to bed early and avoid late nights.

The chart below summarizes the most common characteristics of pitta dosha, along with aggravating factors, disorder tendencies, and principles of management.

Characteristics

Pitta children have a medium build with strong tissues.

Sharpness is a main characteristic—sharp nose, sharp eyes, sharp chin, and sharp tongue.

Pitta children are often good speakers; concise and direct.

They are precise, goal-oriented, orderly, and tidy.

Pitta children are list makers, do everything based on a plan, are always punctual.

The pitta mind is like a bull. Once it is made up, it is difficult to change.

They are often opinionated, criticizing others, telling children what is right and wrong.

Pittas get irritable or angry quickly, especially when things do not go their way.

Metabolism is very sharp; as the saying goes, they are always hungry or angry!

Causes of Aggravation

Hot weather

Eating too many sour, salty, or pungent foods; too much yogurt, sour juices, junk food

Too much sun and heat

Anger, irritability, and frustration

Excessive competition, intellectual stimulation

Disorder Tendencies

Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, oily skin, acne, skin blisters

Gastritis, acidity, heartburn

Irritability, anger, sharp headaches

Fevers, infections, inflammations; red, hot eyes

Sensory sensitivity to heat and light, ringing in ears

Strong acidic odor to feces, sweat and urine, skin, breath

Excessive perspiration and thirst

Principles of Management

Favor sweet, astringent, and bitter tastes and minimize sour items including vinegars, yogurt, and salty, hot, and spicy foods.

Eat more fresh fruit and cooling vegetables such as squash and leafy greens and minimize acidic fruits such as sour oranges.

Ensure optimal hydration through drinking fresh juices, milk, buttermilk, and water at room temperature.

Avoid excessive exposure to sun and heat and try to relax and engage in indoor activities on hot summer days.

The chart below summarizes the most common characteristics of kapha dosha, along with aggravating factors, disorder tendencies, and principles of management.

Characteristics

Kapha children are well built and sometimes overweight.

Physical features are rounded—round face, big, round eyes, roundish nose, and sweet looks; long, thick hair.

Kapha children are loving, nurturing, and caring.

They are peacemakers; they want everybody to be happy.

They have strong endurance and immune systems.

They are good listeners and speak little; tend to be shy at times.

A bit lazy, kapha-type personalities like to rely on and follow others.

They have slow minds; often focused in the past.

Kapha children get easily attached and have a hard time letting go.

Causes of Aggravation

Cold and wet weather; late winter, spring, and the rainy season Eating too many sweet, sour, or salty foods

Junk food such as candy, ice cream, desserts, doughnuts, oily/fried foods, red meat, excessive milk, and cheese products

Excessive eating and drinking

Excessive sleep

Lack of exercise or physical activity

Disorder Tendencies

Clammy skin

Cold body; colds, cough, congestion

Heaviness, obesity

Slow digestion

Laziness, excessive sleep, lethargy

Excessive saliva in the mouth, white-coated tongue

Water retention

Comparatively slow thinking

Principles of Management

Increase pungent, astringent, and bitter tastes.

Include warm foods and beverages; avoid cold foods and beverages.

Eat more baked, cooked, or grilled food and minimize oily and fried items.

Incorporate healthy spices including turmeric, ginger, and garlic known to enhance digestion, metabolism, and circulation.

Stay physically active as part of a daily regimen and minimize sedentary activities and games.

Avoid or minimize daytime sleep.

How the Doshas Connect Your Child to Nature

One of the best ways to learn how to see the doshas clearly in your children—as well as yourself—is to begin to recognize them in the world around you. Ayurveda considers all living beings to be one with nature, providing the perfect lens for observing the unique qualities and characteristics of the doshas at work in the universe. Let’s take a look at this framework so you can begin to bring your child’s doshas into focus.

Have you ever characterized your child as restless as the wind or as fiery as the sun? Ayurveda recognizes the human body as a mirror not only of our physical surroundings in elemental composition, but also of the same dynamic energies of the three doshas expressed in the cosmos. As you discover the different ways the doshas manifest in your environment and surroundings, you will begin to notice the impact of their influences and rhythms on your child’s mind and body.

From sunrise to sunset, to daily rhythms and changing seasons—and even the stages of life itself—these continually shifting energies and their impacts remind us that the only constant in life is change. Daytime, for example, brings the heating and stimulating energy of the sun, which creates warmth and raises our body temperature, whereas nighttime carries the cooling and soothing energy of the moon that helps us to feel relaxed and grounded. Similarly, you can identify different qualities of the doshas according to season. Summer represents heat, while springtime produces wetness, and fall and winter are marked by dryness and cold. These constantly shifting exposures in our environment influence the interplay and equilibrium of the doshas within our own bodies, challenging us to maintain balance.

This brings us to the very definition of dosha—literally “that which can go out of balance.” This is the key concept of all three doshas and the foundation of your Ayurvedic tool kit. Once you learn to identify these specific energies and keep an eye on their influences, you can adjust your children’s daily and seasonal regimens and lifestyle routines to maintain equilibrium according to their unique constitutions. In harmony, the doshas create a state of perfect health; out of balance, they can cause disorder and disease.

You may be wondering at this point how you can possibly keep your child’s energies balanced when there are so many influences out of your control. Ayurveda provides simple strategies for both stabilizing and neutralizing the external impacts of the world around you and emphasizes prevention as a way to generate balance all on its own. Let’s take a deeper look now at the expressions and qualities of the three doshas and different ways you can adapt to their rhythms.

dancing with the doshas

Ayurveda identifies a key principle that can help you stay in step with the doshas and prevent possible imbalances: Like increases like and opposites create balance. Let’s take a look next at some examples illustrating this principle at work.

A hot summer day, for example, increases pitta—the energy of fire and transformation. Sending your child outside to play a game of soccer in the midday sun will increase the heat within their body. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—but depending on your child’s constitution, it could result in an accumulation of excess pitta, especially if that is your child’s constitution. Drinking a cool beverage and sitting in the shade will pacify pitta, whereas sunbathing will aggravate it and make it harder to restore balance. Similarly, shuttling your child to and from multiple activities every day after school increases vata—the energy of movement. If vata is your child’s dominant dosha, this can lead to an imbalance, particularly in the windy and dry fall season. Drinking a cold breakfast smoothie will further aggravate vata, whereas drinking a cup of warm tea will help to pacify the dosha. A kapha child suffers from excess cold and wetness. A winter’s night meal served with ice water followed by a bowl of ice cream for dessert, for instance, will increase the qualities of kapha and produce an imbalance depending on constitution type. Remember, like increases like and opposites create balance!

Once you tune in to the frequency of the doshas, you will begin to see them everywhere, and many of Ayurveda’s tools and techniques for restoring balance will come quite naturally. The power of Ayurveda unfolds exactly this way—perfectly aligning you with nature and escorting you into the present moment where you are rewarded with the joys of mindfulness, the greatest gift you can give to your children.

the five elements

Now that you understand prakriti as the inseparable, true nature of an individual and the three doshas at work governing all the systems and functions of your child’s body, you may be wondering about the physical structures of your child’s body. What do the doshas have to do with healthy bone and muscle growth, tissue development, joint integrity, brain health, gut health, and overall neurological development?

This brings us to the concept of the five elements. Ayurveda explains that everything in the cosmos is constructed by five fundamental elements: Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space. These elements are considered the fundamental building blocks or construction units of everything in nature and the universe—including our physical bodies. In other words, the same materials exist both within us and outside us on this earth. This is the fundamental reason for the seamless expression of nature’s influences on your child’s mind, body, and spirit. Let’s take a brief look at how the doshas and the five elements are connected.

When you consider the five elements—beyond the substance and matter, Ayurveda recognizes that each of them carries unique energies or qualities, just like the doshas. In fact, those qualities give rise to the three doshas. Earth and Water, for example, have qualities of being heavy and stable, or binding and building. This may sound familiar to you from what you’ve learned about kapha. That is because kapha is composed of Earth and Water. What about pitta—the principle of heat and transformation? Pitta is composed of the Fire and Water elements. You might be wondering how that makes sense when water extinguishes fire? An open fire is rampant and uncontrollable. Left alone, it will burn and devastate everything in its path. The Water element of pitta helps contain the Fire element so that it is still active but sustainable. Last, vata—the principle of movement—is derived from the subtlest elements: Air and Space. This is why dry and windy weather aggravates vata—because of the increase in mobile, fast-moving qualities.

connecting the dots

As you can see, the doshas are the functional expression of the five elements that provide a framework for understanding the structural makeup of existence. In the same way structure and function are interdependent, so are anatomy and physiology. A balanced vata dosha supports the normal function of every physiological process within your child’s body that is governed by vata and requires movement—both voluntary and involuntary. This includes physical movement, peristaltic movement of the digestive tract, muscle contractions, and even the movement of thoughts. In the same way, a balanced pitta dosha sustains normal digestion, metabolism, hormonal changes, body temperature, and energy levels. Kapha in balance supports the integrity and cohesion of all the organ systems and tissues of the body along with proper nourishment.

When you picture the doshas circulating within your body, you can note the fascinating interdependence of structure and function. Proper production of digestive enzymes, for example, ensures the nourishment of tissue, bone, and muscle. It is important to note here that when a normal function within the body is hindered in some way by doshic imbalances, structural changes can occur over time.

The more closely you observe the doshas in your child’s day-to-day mind and body expressions, the better you will be able to support their health and vitality. After just a short time, it will become instinctive. Your senses will sharpen as you tune in to the rhythms of nature, and this awareness will guide you day by day throughout your parenting journey. Before you take the quiz at the end of this chapter to discover your child’s prakriti, I want to highlight the various cycles of the doshas in the world around us. This will help you develop a clear picture of nature’s influences on your child, identify potential causes of imbalance, and adapt lifestyle choices according to the flow of nature. Why swim against the current when you can ride the tide? Parenting bears enough challenges on its own. Ayurveda makes it easier.

Ayurvedic Root Principle: Like Increases Like

Same qualities always cause increase, and opposite qualities, reduction. Adding heat to warm water makes it hotter, whereas adding cold reduces the warmth.

Doshas and the seasons

How many times have you bundled your child up on a fall morning before school only to have them come home at the end of the day growling at you as they race to change into a pair of shorts? Who knew that chilly fall morning would turn into a beach day? No wonder your kid is mad! Anger is an expression of aggravated pitta.

The seasonal cycle of the doshas gives you a three-dimensional blueprint for recognizing various influences of nature on your child’s mind-body system. When you look out your window through an Ayurvedic lens, you can quite literally see that what is happening on the outside is also happening on the inside. In the same way daily routines can help establish proper rhythms in your child’s life, Ayurveda recommends following seasonal routines throughout the year. This will help you attune your child’s lifestyle practices to each season’s doshic qualities and give you another tool to keep the doshas in balance. External influences can affect everything from your child’s immunity to their overall disposition.

Let’s begin with summertime. The rising heat impacts the human body just as it does the earth. As this heat accumulates in the body, it increases the probability of heat-related health issues and disorders including acidity, skin inflammation, and even blazing tempers. You can easily observe the like increases like principle at work here and spot how pitta can quickly become aggravated this time of year. When fall arrives with windy, dry, and colder weather, the increase in mobile qualities can aggravate vata in the same way. A vata imbalance commonly manifests across the mind-body system as dry skin, digestive irregularities, mental restlessness, and increased aches and pains. Do you ever feel like hibernating in the winter and sitting on your couch until spring? The cold, frozen, and static qualities of wintertime can increase kapha and create sluggishness or heaviness in the body. Our system shields itself to preserve internal heat and ward off the impacts of the cold weather. This enhances digestion and explains why there is a tendency to eat more during the winter. When the frozen ground and ice begin to melt in springtime, wetness spreads across nature much the same way it spreads throughout our bodies in the forms of congestion and accumulation. Metabolism slows and dampens. This process can weaken the immune system, leaving your child prone to springtime allergies.

Remember, when it comes to modifying lifestyle routines according to season, it is best to step outside and tune in to nature rather than relying on the calendar!

Doshas and Daily Time Cycles

Do you have a child who tends to wake up congested early in the morning or has trouble getting out of bed for school? The same way the seasons create different energies both within and around us, so do the dynamics of the sun, the moon, and the earth. As you can see from the illustration on this page, you can recognize these different qualities in the daily cycle of the doshas over a twenty-four-hour period.

Early morning, for example, is considered a kapha time. Your child is more likely to feel sluggish or heavy between these hours and may have an especially hard time waking up—especially if they are kapha-predominant. As the sun comes out and rises higher in the sky, feelings of dullness and heaviness decrease as the warmth of the sun takes over. This heat enhances the entire mind-body system and increases clarity, activity, and the digestive fire—just in time for lunch. Pitta peaks at noon and is the ideal time to have a heavy meal as digestion is at its strongest. As the sun goes down and the heat of the day diminishes, vata moves in with colder temperatures and qualities of dryness, representing the period of late afternoon.

Do you have a tendency to wake up in the middle of the night tossing and turning? The same way daytime begins with kapha in the morning, peaks with pitta, and ends with vata, this same cycle occurs at night. Kapha dominates the evening, pitta peaks at midnight, then vata takes over until early morning. Did you know vata governs elimination? This explains patterns of insomnia or a consistent need to use the bathroom during these hours. Expressions like these can cue you in to potential imbalances.

Following the cycle of the doshas in four-hour increments throughout the day allows you to understand their effects on your child’s mind-body system based on time of day. Children who are highly emotional, for example, may be a little more sensitive when the clock strikes noon. Similarly, children with a tendency toward restlessness should be soothed with a warming beverage or cuddle in the late afternoon. These types of routines can pacify imbalances that may be accumulating. Prevention is key.

Doshas and the Cycle of Life

Finally, we come to the cycle of life itself. Even this corresponds to the rise and fall of the doshas. Ayurvedic science explains that kapha dominates childhood; pitta, the stage of midlife; and vata, the period of old age.

During childhood, the overarching influence of kapha governs children regardless of their constitution. This is important for parents to recognize so that you can help prevent imbalances associated with this stage of life and understand why it is vital your children are well-nourished on every level to support this period of rapid growth and development. Do you feel like you’re always at the doctor with one of your kids for a sinus or ear infection? Disorder tendencies during this time of life include congestion, excess mucus, coughs, and frequent colds. You may notice your child suffers more from these illnesses than their vata and pitta counterparts if they have a kapha-predominant constitution. You probably recognize by now how the accumulation of the cold, damp qualities of kapha increases in the winter, heightening the likelihood children could develop associated illnesses. We will look more closely at the influences of kapha dosha on children in the next chapter.

The pitta dosha represents the next stage of life—the transformational period of early adulthood. This time is dominated by the fire energy and qualities of high intensity, motivation, determination, drive, and courage. There’s no question these attributes predominate this stage of life and, in fact, make it possible to strike out on your own, establish a career, and start a family. Finally, vata dominates the period of old age associated with depletion and dryness you can easily associate with degenerative changes and painful disorders of the mind and body, a reflection of accumulated dryness and increased vata.

Now that you are familiar with the dynamic role of the doshas and their unique characteristics, it’s time for you to identify your child’s prakriti—the key to implementing all of the Ayurvedic tools and techniques you will discover throughout this book.

Child’s Prakriti Quiz

The following quiz will help you identify your child’s Ayurvedic constitution. Please remember this assessment should not be used to diagnose any health problems your child may have; rather, it is a way to better understand your child’s overall nature and guide you to create customized lifestyle routines using various Ayurvedic tools and techniques.

Answer the questions according to what has been most consistently true over your child’s lifetime, then tally your selections and record the number of responses for each in the spaces below. For questions that may have more than one applicable answer, simply select the statement that most closely identifies your child’s main attributes. Let the journey begin!

1.I would describe my child as…

a.quick and restless

b.sharp and aggressive

c.calm and steady

2.When it comes to remembering things, my child…

a.tends to forget almost immediately

b.retains a fair amount of what is absorbed

c.easily retains, recollects, and remembers

3.Thoughts running through my child’s head are…

a.constantly changing

b.fairly consistent

c.always steady and stable

4.My child is able to concentrate…

a.for short periods of time, but is easily distracted

b.in moderate stretches, with determination

c.for considerably long periods of time

5.When my child is learning something new, they grasp it…

a.almost instantly

b.adequately, but may take some time

c.very slowly, often with difficulty

6.If my child’s dreams were a movie, they would feature…

a.fear, dread, running, jumping

b.adventure, violence, anger, fire

c.friends, lots of water, and clouds

7.My child’s sleep pattern is…

a.usually interrupted with a lot of tossing and turning

b.mostly peaceful

c.deep and heavy, doesn’t wake easily

8.The term that best describes my child’s speech…

a.the local metro – fast, unclear, often skips or fumbles words

b.the bullet train – fast, but clear and well thought out

c.the luxury cruise – slow, clear, and sweet

9.When my child speaks, it usually comes out in this fashion…

a.high-pitched

b.medium-pitched

c.low-pitched

10.When I serve my child’s favorite meal, they…

a.race to the table and quickly clear the plate

b.eat at a moderate speed

c.savor every bite at a leisurely pace

11.My child gets hungry…

a.very often

b.irregularly

c.not often

12.My child’s favorite meals and beverages are…

a.wonderfully warm soups, stews, and hot cocoa

b.cold fruit and veggies, cool drinks and treats

c.warm crunchy, munchy snacks…popcorn is a favorite!

13.When it comes to achieving goals, my child is…

a.easily distracted and flighty

b.unstoppable and competitive

c.slow and steady to the finish line

14.In school, my child works most efficiently…

a.under supervision

b.alone, at their own pace

c.working as part of a group or team

15.The kind of weather that most irritates my child is…

a.a cold morning

b.a hot afternoon

c.a damp, cool day

16.When the going gets tough, my child…

a.gets easily stressed, wants to leave

b.feels slightly intimidated, but perseveres

c.stays calm, doesn’t get worked up

17.Friends, friends, friends…

a.quite a lot, although most are short-term

b.my child is a bit of a loner

c.only a couple, but special ones who have been around for a long time

18.When it comes to mood swings, my child…

a.changes lanes faster than a sports car

b.holds steady for a while, then fluctuates

c.remains steady and stable

19.My child’s number one defense mechanism when it comes to stress is…

a.to have an emotional outburst

b.to become angry and critical

c.none, they are calm

20.My child has a soft side for…

a.depends on the day

b.nothing in particular

c.people’s feelings

21.If I told my child our family was moving to a new town, they would…

a.run away crying and crawl into a favorite hiding spot

b.yell and scream and fight

c.calmly ask for details and ways to help out

22.My child expresses affection toward people they love…

a.with a handwritten poem, letter, or craft

b.with a shiny new gift

c.with great emotion and lots of hugs

23.I can tell my child is hurt when they…

a.cry a river

b.needlessly argue

c.lock themselves in their room

24.My child’s instant reaction to an emotional trauma like a lost doll or treasured possession is…

a.anxiety

b.denial

c.depression

25.The following situation that best describes my child’s confidence level…

a.hardly looks new friends in the eye

b.can easily talk to a group of children about any topic, new or old

c.can step up when the situation demands, but takes great effort

26.My child’s hair is…

a.dry as a desert

b.normal

c.very oily

27.My child’s natural hair color is…

a.light brown/blond

b.red/auburn

c.dark brown/black

28.I’d categorize my child’s skin type as…

a.dry, rough, maybe both

b.soft, normal, maybe a little oily

c.cool, moist, oily

29.When it comes to body temperature, my child…

a.always has cold hands, makes frequent requests to turn up the heat

b.runs warm, likes the windows open all year

c.feels pleasantly cool, not too hot, not too cold

30.My child’s complexion within our own ethnicity is…

a.on the darker side, tans easily

b.pinkish or reddish

c.fairer and/or pale

31.My child’s eyes are…

a.small

b.normal

c.large

32.The whites of my child’s eyes are…

a.blue/brown

b.yellow/red

c.glossy white

33.My child’s wide smile is made of…

a.small teeth

b.small to medium teeth

c.medium to large teeth

34.Judging by my child’s weight, they would feel right at home with the…

a.lightweight society

b.medium-weight bunch

c.heavy-weight league

35.My child’s bowel movements are…

a.dry and hard, easily constipated

b.soft to normal, several times a day

c.heavy and thick, may take extra time in the bathroom

a:_____ b:_____ c:_____

a = Vata b = Pitta c = Kapha

interpreting your child’s score

Now that you have the total scores of your child’s prakriti quiz for vata, pitta, and kapha, you can identify your child’s constitution according to the ratio of the doshas. It is normal to have some numbers in all three sections as there are seven different possible combinations for an Ayurvedic constitution. Single types are vata, pitta, kapha. Dual types are vata-pitta, vata-kapha, pitta-kapha. The tridoshic type, which is quite rare, is vata-pitta-kapha Your final assessment should be based on comparing the most prominent scores that identify and reflect the qualities and characteristics of the doshas. Please follow the criteria here to discover your child’s prakriti.

Knowing your child’s prakriti allows you to see the different influences the three doshas have on your children and gives you another tool to keep everyday life in balance. The results of the quiz you just took will help you better understand your children’s mental and physical strengths and weaknesses along with their tendencies and affinities so you can put the art and science of the Ayurvedic lifestyle to work—the key to prevention. You may have already identified specific tendencies or habits in your children throughout this chapter that correlate to the three doshas, and no doubt you will discover many more as you continue to explore your child’s constitution. Not only will this knowledge support you to create and adjust your child’s daily wellness routines to keep the doshas in balance, but it also gives you a baseline from which you can recognize and correct imbalances that arise.

Being attuned to your child’s constitution not only allows you to strive for optimal health throughout all the stages of childhood using the lifestyle tools you discover throughout this book, but also is the best way to create multidimensional daily routines that support your child’s physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Next, we’ll take a look at the ways kapha dosha influences the age of childhood and how to best support your child’s immunity.