The school year looks very different for everyone this year! Whether your kids are virtual learning or going to classes in person, here are a few tips to keep in mind to help your child have a successful year.
Virtual Learning
As kids spend more and more time on computers, it is crucial that you establish a place where they are able to maintain good posture and reduce fatigue on their bodies. Here are three basic tips to keep in mind to help limit and reduce the harmful effects of our technological world.
- 90-90-90-90 Rule: Your child’s ankles, knees, lower back, and elbows should all be at 90 degrees. This ensures that their back and extremities are in a relaxed position and are not in a constant stressed or tense state.
- Shoulders back and eyes level to the top of the screen: You want to avoid your kids leaning over and looking down as this posture leads to an increase in “text neck.” Text neck is the posture in which the forward positioning of the head increases pressure on the neck which can cause long term stress and strain on musculature all throughout the body. Keeping your shoulders back helps prevent scapula flaring that can lead to shoulder issues down the road.
- Break up screen time: This is especially important for younger children, but even older teenagers need to be mindful of this. Hours of uninterrupted screen time can lead to dry eyes and concentration issues. If you can break up the screen time to 50 minutes at a time and then 10 minutes away doing something else, do so.
Backpack
The most physically stressful item for kids as they go back to school is the backpack. It serves a great purpose, but you need to make sure it is the correct size, weight, and adjusted properly for your child. Here are three quick tips:
- Limit the weight: The backpack should only be 10-15% of your child’s body weight. If they are 50lbs allow their backpack to be 5-7 lbs. If they are 100 lbs., this allows their backpack to be more like 10-15 lbs.
- Wear it properly: A backpack should fall 2 inches below the waist, be flat against the back, both shoulder straps used, and any extra waist or chest straps should also be utilized.
- Distribute the weight: You want the heavy books at the back of the backpack and the lighter objects in small pockets around the pack.
Check out the two videos below if you want any further information. If you have any questions or thoughts, please comment below and we will be sure to answer them. Schedule your child for a chiropractic check today!