There are many benefits to developing good posture at a young age. Between video games and devices, kids can quickly slip into bad habit postures. This is a strategy for helping your child develop good posture.
Sitting on Surfaces With No Back Support
As adults, we find it difficult to sit down in chairs that don’t have back support for a long time. It is possible to sit upright in chairs that do have backs, but the issue arises when it becomes a habit to lean back in the chair rather than use our own muscles. Practice this with your kids by having them sit on a stool for five minutes at a time. This practice is going to strengthen your child’s back and torso.
Encourage Them To Squat
Monitor your child’s postural habits. Monitor how they squat, paying attention to their back and feet placement. Remind your child to squat and to imagine their body going up as they go down. Remind them to keep their knees out and away and keep their heels on the ground. We don’t want them to assume a squat similar to the squats we do in the gym. Those are straining on the body, and we don’t want to cause their body tension yet. Children are close to the ground, and it’s essential we don’t let them lose their connection with it.
Prop Up Devices
Place a pillow on their lap and under whatever device your child is using. You want the device to be eye level. You can also use a stack of books to prop up a computer monitor.
Bringing Food To Their Mouths
Pay attention to what behavior you’re modeling for your child while you eat. Teach them to bring food to their mouth instead of bending toward their food; in cases of a rounded back, bending forward causes your spine to shrink. Have your child think about up and to extend their arms and bring the food to them. You can do this also, as it’s never too late to unlearn bad habits and help our bodies.
They may spill at first, but this is going to encourage coordination and balance, especially for kids who are re-learning how to eat.
Many advantages come from having great posture, such as preventing scoliosis and muscle strain. Helping your child develop good posture is a skill that will prevent them from developing more significant issues down the road.
