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Children study chair Ergonomics -What parents and educators should know?

Children adopt numerous sitting postures such as slouched, twisted, upright, tilted and straddling their seats. It's impractical for us to think that kids will stay quiet in one position throughout their studying hours. Since they're kids, they have no limits while stretching out their legs, crossing them, bouncing them and they may balance on the chair's front part or precariously teeter on the back by tempting gravity and common sense.

This freedom in children's posture raises big questions among classroom furniture manufacturers and buyers. Considering the nature of sitting by every individual, there are a few challenges that need to be addressed like, How one chair design can fit all? How do children study chair ergonomics to improve learning and keep them comfortable?

Children study chair ergonomics refers to optimizing the environment in a way that enables a child to study and play with greater comfort and fewer chances of getting injured. Since, kids will be constantly growing, creating a one size fits all model for ergonomics is a daunting task. By considering the unique challenges children face during the development stage, below are some of the key children's study chair ergonomics parents and educators should concentrate on in the classroom and at home.

Significance of Children Study Chair Ergonomics

The interchange between the human body and furniture is very important when an individual is studying or working on a computer. In recent times, children are also using smartphones, laptops and other electronic devices extensively which means the issue of ergonomics is no longer just limited to adults.

When kids are sitting at a desk, we must ensure they practise an ergonomic sitting position. This is the optimum position, in which one can feel relaxed and focused while avoiding backache, headache and postural damage. Even elementary school kids suffer from lower back pain and the prevalence of lower back pain in children has been rising as they grow old every day. Therefore, the ideal time to instil good ergonomics is at a young age. These are the vital formative years where your child can develop good long-term habits in sitting, computing and studying.

Ergonomic Sitting for Children

Many parents may think that their kids always stay active or run around, but in reality, they spend the majority of their time in a sitting position. Practising an improper sitting posture at a young age can affect the formation of the bones. Kids can develop spinal issues like postural kyphosis, making them difficult to correct in future.

Proper Sitting Posture for Children

Physios and ergonomists recommend the same adult 90-90-90 guidelines for children to achieve a good sitting posture. When children follow the above rule while sitting, we can observe right angles:

• - Ensure the back is straight and forms a 90° angle with the thighs
• - Both thighs should be flat on the seat and create a 90° angle with the knees
• - Form a 90° angle with the shins by keeping both feet flat and resting on the floor or footrest

Nonetheless, it is completely normal for kids to be fidgeting or sitting in unusual positions from time to time. Teaching your child not to be hunched over or slouching all day is the key here.

Ergonomic Computing for Children

Kids of the current generation have easy access to a computer to perform their homework or for gaming. Due to this, the chair in which your child sits should offer basic computer ergonomics to prevent eye strain and wrist & back discomfort.

Laptop Selection and Setup

Parents should provide lightweight laptops for their children. Because, if kids handle a heavy laptop it can injure their small wrists and back.

It is also advised to have an external monitor. Children have shorter arms, hence it will be hard for them to reach and type on the built-in keyboard of a laptop. With an external monitor, they can sit further back and that also helps reduce eye strain and improve the productivity of your child.

Mouse and Keyboard Selection

Generally, for kids using any external mouse and keyboard will be more beneficial than the in-built ones of a laptop. In the concrete, the design of the laptop mainly favours portability over ergonomics. Therefore, find the ideal kid’s size mouse for the small hands of your child.

Neutral hand position

Teenage kids can begin using a more ergonomically shaped adult mouse. Consider a perfect-sized vertical mouse that helps your kid maintain a neutral wrist a lot easier.

Children’s Ergonomics While Studying In the Classroom or Home

More than 80% of elementary school children sit at a chair-desk combination in class or at home that isn’t suitable for their bodies. However, effectively meeting the needs of a child is possible at home with an ergonomic chair & desk set up. But in the classroom where children of different heights are present, it is a major ergonomic challenge.

There’s no doubt that if we discuss ergonomic chairs for the home or classroom, it will lead to a question - How does that fit in the budget? But, there are a few affordable options available on the market.

Ergonomic and Active Sitting Chairs

The ergonomic chairs for home and the classroom should be at least height adjustable. This allows educators and parents to adjust the height of the chairs when necessary and ensure taller or shorter kids embrace an active sitting position during their study hours. The perfect chair height is such that the individual's two feet are comfortably placed on the floor.

To counter the adverse effects of prolonged stationary sitting, educators should incorporate the practice of active sitting, where kids are seated in a position that will be less restrictive and allow small muscle movements. Two simple ways for adding active sitting in class are making kids stand periodically or even squat. Both actions stimulate more muscle activity than usual sitting.

Adjustable Children Desk Set Up

Similar to chairs, an ergonomic desk in the home or classroom should be height adjustable to adapt to varying heights of kids. If possible, you can install a children's desk with a tiltable top, that helps to prevent kids from leaning forward while drawing or reading and encourages them to sit up straight and rest on the backrest.

An ergonomic study chair is an ideal choice if you are looking to set a proper study space for your child. Syona Roots have featured the best-in-class study chairs that are suitable for all budgets. Look out for the unique features in each study chair model and find the appropriate one that complements the best study environment for your child.

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