Remember when your mom would nag you about sitting up straight? Turns out, she was onto something. Good posture is more than just a mark of good manners. It’s essential for overall health and well-being. This blog post will guide you on how to teach your kids the importance of good posture. We’ve broken down the process into easy-to-follow steps, making it a breeze for you and your kids. Plus, we’ve got a handy Goal Mine class video to help your kids learn this skill independently. Let’s get started!
Table of Contents
| Step | Description |
|---|---|
| Step 1: What is Posture? | Teach your kids that posture is the way we hold our bodies while standing, sitting, or lying down. Good posture correctly aligns the body to ideally strain the muscles and ligaments while we’re moving or performing weight-bearing activities. |
| Step 2: What Does Bad Posture Look Like? | Help your kids identify when they’re falling into bad posture habits. Slouching in a chair, hunching over a desk, or walking with a stoop are all examples of bad posture. |
| Step 3: How to Have Good Posture | Guide your kids towards better posture habits. When standing, they should keep their shoulders back and relaxed, pull in their abdomen, keep their feet about hip distance apart, balance their weight evenly on both feet, and avoid tilting their head. When sitting, they should choose a chair that supports their spinal curves, keep their feet flat on the floor, and avoid crossing their legs. |
Step 1: What is Posture?
Posture, in other words, is how we hold our bodies while standing, sitting, or lying down. It correctly aligns the body to strain the muscles and ligaments while moving or performing weight-bearing activities. Teaching kids about posture early on can help them avoid health issues later in life.
Good posture involves training your body to stand, walk, sit, and lie where the least strain is placed on supporting muscles and ligaments. It’s not just about looking confident and poised. Maintaining good posture helps prevent problems like back pain and muscle fatigue.
Read more: Teaching Kids How to Keep Calm
Step 2: What Does Bad Posture Look Like?
Now that we’ve clarified good posture let’s discuss its opposite. Bad posture is when our alignment is off, and our muscles and ligaments must work harder to keep us upright. For instance, reclining in a chair, hunching over a desk, or walking with a stoop are all examples of bad posture.
It’s crucial to help your kids identify when they fall into these habits. This way, they can correct themselves and form better habits. Keep an eye out for slouching or hunching, as these are common signs of poor posture in kids.
Step 3: How to Have Good Posture
So, how do we go about correcting lousy posture? Here are some steps to guide your kids toward better habits:
- Firstly, when standing, kids should keep their shoulders back and relaxed, pull in their abdomen, keep their feet about hip distance apart, balance their weight evenly on both feet, and avoid tilting their head forward, backward, or sideways. Make sure they’re not holding their breath, as breathing naturally is also part of good posture.
- Secondly, when sitting, they should choose a chair that supports their spinal curves. They should keep their feet flat on the floor and avoid crossing their legs. Their knees should be at or below the level of their hips. They could use a cushion if the chair doesn’t support their lower back’s curve.
Most importantly, remind your kids to take breaks from sustained posture every 30 minutes. Please encourage them to stretch or move around during these breaks.
Goally | 100+ Streaming Video Classes
Does your child need some extra guidance on building essential life skills? Goally’s skill building tablet for kids includes a TV app that has the most robust video library of skills training videos for kids. Ranging from content like “How to Brush Your Teeth” to “How to Make Friends at School,” we have dozens of interactive video lessons for kids with thinking and learning differences.
HERE’s a video explaining how to works.
Good posture is a life skill that’s best learned early. It’s not just about looking good but also about maintaining a healthy body. With these tips, you can guide your kids toward better posture habits. Remember, consistency is key. Encourage them to practice good posture regularly, and soon, it will become second nature.
For a more interactive experience, remember to check out our Goal Mine class video on this topic. And if you want to unlock the rest of our video lessons that teach “how to have good posture,” consider getting Goally’s dedicated Tablet. It’s a small investment for a lifetime of good health and confidence for your kids.
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