Reflexology, Coughs and colds, Get a grip

Alica Hart-Davis learns a few rules about reflexology: 'So is this bit the solar plexus?" I ask, burrowing vaguely into the middle of my daughter Beth's right foot and trying to see where Rosanna Bickerton, my reflexology teacher, is pressing on Beth's left foot.

Hands-on help for Beth's feet. "A bit higher, Mummy," pipes up Beth. "And would you mind not using your thumbnail?" There's a lot to get to grips with when you are trying to learn the basics of reflexology in an afternoon.

I have known Rosanna for a while. So when I bumped into her recently and moaned that my children were always suffering from one virus or another, she didn't hesitate.

"Sounds like they need their immune systems boosting," she said. "Bring them to me. I'll show you what you need to do."

Reflexology, the practice of massaging specific zones on the feet to relieve tension, ailments or "imbalances" in other parts of the body, has a bit of a flaky reputation, but in the right hands, it can be a powerful tool.

Rosanna has been practising Reflexology for 14 years. After a chat about what was ailing my moppets, she showed me which spots on the feet to tackle, and how to do it, then gave me helpful diagrams to follow at home.

Molly is plagued by chronic fatigue, a hangover from glandular fever, and needed work on her liver, spleen and lymph glands. For Beth, whose hay fever kicked in a week ago, the sinuses were the main focus. For Robert, it was the soothing solar plexus point, to help him sleep better.

I began to get the hang of it, but had to admit I felt unqualified to carry on with it. "That's why you're here," said Rosanna, "so I can show you what to do and make sure you're happy with what you're doing, rather than trying to learn from a book.

"Reflex-ology is wickedly effective on children, and it's all the more powerful when done by Mummy.

"Also, you get the most benefit by doing it little and often. In Chinese medicine, the regularity of treatment matters greatly, so by doing a little bit every day, you will actually be doing a lot of good.

" Now, each night, I settle down to work on the children's feet before bedtime. They love it. Robert snuggles down and is almost asleep by the time I finish. Beth goes into a happy trance, but not so deep that she can't tell me when I'm going wrong. Molly talks me through the intricacies of her day, so it's lovely bonding time. Will they catch the next passing cold? After all this, I hope not.