The number one thing that parents can do to teach their children good posture is to set a proper example for them. Kids look to their parents. They want to be just like Mom and Dad. And if they see Dad with his hand in his pockets and his shoulders rounded and his head down, they assume those postures. Believe you me, those kids are watching every move you make, and they want to be just like Mom and Dad.
Setting a proper example by not tipping your head down and not spending hours on the phone, making sure that you’re seated at your desk using a task chair, and keeping your body upright and looking straight ahead instead of looking down will motivate your kids. Don’t get me wrong, we still need to teach kids and correct them when they’re doing the wrong thing by gently just giving them a little nudge. We can’t be overbearing otherwise they’ll resent it.
In addition to setting a good example with your own habits, parents should make sure that their child’s computer and workstation are set up properly. This includes having a good task chair that fits the child and can be raised and lower as the child grows and gets bigger so they can keep their feet flat on the floor.
Another important thing that parents can do is have your child checked by a chiropractor because as I’ve said many times, as the twig is bent, so grows the tree. If you look at a child early and detect scoliosis or forward head posture or rounding of the shoulders, these things can be corrected early before those patterns are built into the spine. Because as they grow, those patterns aren’t yet cemented or built into the spine.
Make sure your kids are exercising, stretching, and moving a lot. Make sure that after falls during sports or bicycle injuries and crashes, that they get checked by a chiropractor for subluxations, because those misalignments also can contribute to poor posture and weakness in the spine.
But setting a good example by using good posture yourself is one of the best things you can do to teach your kids to make sure that they grow up with good posture. And then when things do get out of alignment, have them evaluated by a chiropractor periodically so things don’t become more permanent.
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