It is important to consider what your child’s at-home school set up looks like. Having a distinct school area can help your child distinguish between school time and play time and remain focused. We know that this isn’t always possible, so follow these simple tips to make the best at-home school set up for your child to promote optimal spinal growth and development and reduce the risk of future health problems.
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If available, and depending on the age and size of your child, younger children should be doing school work at a kid’s table for proper ergonomic set up. Ergonomic set up means that your child’s elbows, hips and knees should be at 90 degrees.
If that is not available and children are sitting at a kitchen table, kitchen island, or a standard size desk, please ensure that their feet are in constant with a stable surface support their lower back. If their feet don’t touch the floor, a small box or storage container can be used underneath their feet. Keep in mind, the goal is to keep their hips and knees at 90 degrees.
Regardless of where your child is doing their school work (a desk, kitchen table or kitchen island), the height of the screen is the most important thing to consider.
If your child is working from a laptop, raise the screen using a small box (tissue boxes are great) so that the screen is at (or better yet, ABOVE) their eye level.
If your child is doing school work from an iPad or tablet, never allow your child to place the tablet flat on the table and hunch forward to look at the screen. This position places maximum strain on your child’s spine and, if they are in this position long enough, can contribute to neck pain, headaches, and even blurred vision. Instead, make a stand out of boxes or whatever you have available to support your child’s screen in an upright position.
If your child is doing work (or playing games) on their phone, try this trick- sit on the couch or a chair, place a couple of pillows under your arms, then text with arms supported on the pillow, rather than holding your phone directly on your lap. This is a great compromise for kids who say holding their phone at eye level makes their arms tired!
I know this is a new situation for everyone and we are all trying our best to adapt. If we focus on implementing changes that help your child’s spine and health, this will positively impact all areas of the day- school time, play time, and family time.
As always, we are here to answer any health related questions that you might have.