Taking Care of Children As They Learn From Home | Godrej Interio

TAKING CARE OF CHILDREN AS THEY LEARN FROM HOME

The covid-19 pandemic caused schools worldwide to shift to remote teaching. With an early pre-emptive lockdown in India, followed by a slew of other mobility restrictions, educational institutions were quick to introduce online classes to ensure the safety and continued learning for the students. According to our research, students have adapted well to this new mode of education. The fear of pandemic looms, and apart from staying safe, virtual learning comes with a unique set of benefits. Our analysis suggests that the physical-virtual hybrid model of learning is likely to stay for longer than we predicted.

While learning from home is safe and convenient, parents are concerned about the increased screen time and reduced physical activity of their children. Children are required to sit in one spot for long hours while learning from home, which is likely to cause physical stress to children’s growing bodies and result in various long-term health issues ranging from neck pain to eye strain.

Children are particularly susceptible to changes in spinal alignment as their bones are not properly fused as yet at the young age. If not taken care of appropriately, the new lifestyle adopted due to online education can potentially lead to an increased risk of postural deviations over a long time. For children, incorrect body postures can cause the spine to take the shape of the letter ‘S’ or ‘C’, a condition termed as Scoliosis. The spine can become rounded, leading to hunching or slouching called Kyphosis. Parents must, therefore, creatively persuade their children to adopt appropriate sitting postures while learning.

Our Ergo Guide aims to educate parents on the best ways to create ergonomic learning spaces for their children, with a focus on promoting a healthy home-schooling experience.

This guide is designed to educate parents on how to take care of their children while they study from home. Some of the areas in which the guide will help are:

Simple ways to create ergonomic study desks at home.

Posture precautions to be taken while studying, writing or reading books.

Sensory diet to cope with missing daily outdoor activities.

Improving physical activity to make overall learning impactful, healthy and pain-free.

PARENTS NEED TO BE CAUTIOUS OF HEALTH ASPECTS AS THEIR CHILDREN LEARN FROM HOME

Owing to the precarious pandemic situation, today, parents support home-schooling for their children. However, as safe as this new model of education is, it is equally challenging in certain ways. Parents often find their children hunched over a laptop computer screen to attend lectures and complete their assignments. In the long term, this can lead to serious health issues.

Our Workplace and Ergonomics Research Cell attempted to study the home-schooling behaviour of 350 school-going children of the age group of 3-15 years from across India. Parents who were a part of this research revealed that their children used gadgets for a minimum of 4–6 hours a day which is 2-3 hours more than what they did before schools closed on account of the lockdown. This upped screen time can increase the risk of physical health issues in children.

The study further revealed that 52% of the children had daily online classes while 36% had classes four times a week.

As a result, 41% of children complained of eye strain issues.

While students learn from the comfort of their homes, they find themselves sitting on any available surface like the floor, sofa, dining table or kitchen platform. Doing so results in them assuming wrong sitting postures, which could lead to multiple health challenges.

Our studies found that 22% of the students took online classes while seated on a bed, while about 14% sat on the floor.

The above figures state that multiple households aren’t equipped with the necessary table-desk arrangement to enable students to adopt the right posture as they learn from home. Unaware of the repercussions, children do not take timely breaks from using smart gadgets and do not perform enough physical activity throughout the day either. Additionally, we learnt that 53% of the children felt tired at the end of the day due to online classes.

This lack of infrastructure, coupled with awkward postures adopted while studying and limited physical activities impose health risks on children at a very young age.

As online learning is here to stay for some period of time, it is of utmost importance for parents to help facilitate healthy posture habits in their children. By doing so, they will be able to protect the child's growing spine and reduce the chances of developing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) like neck, back and joint pain problems.

22% attended online classes seated on bed

14% attended online classes seated on floor

HERE ARE SOME CHECKPOINTS FOR CHILDREN TO ACHIEVE A HEALTHY SITTING POSTURE

Children’s sitting posture is correct only if they follow the 90-90-90 rule.

What is the 90-90-90 rule?

The back and the thighs should form a 90-degree angle; knees should also be at a 90-degree angle, and the feet and the ankle should be at a 90-degree angle as well.

The neck should be straight and shoulders relaxed with elbows well supported on a table-top or armrest. One should do so to avoid hunching or slouching.

The back should be straight with adequate lower back support; the feet should be on the ground or footrest to avoid awkward knee and foot postures.

Students can adopt the right sitting posture if parents set an ergonomic environment at home by considering the following particulars:

Find a chair of the right size 01

Have an adjustable ergonomic chair that suits your child's height and body weight. The chair should have the feature of seat height and armrest adjustment. Parents should ensure that the child can sit with back support without any discomfort behind the knee joint. It is alright if the child cannot rest their feet on the floor; they can use an external footrest or footstool.

If buying an adjustable chair is not an option, parents should find an appropriate chair at home. They should advise children to sit with back support, use a small cushion or roll a towel to support the lower back. They can also keep some pillows or soft bed sheets to increase the chair's height to ensure comfort.

Important aspects to be considered while choosing the right study chair for children are:

Right size

– The child should be able to sit comfortably on the chair with back support and feet firmly placed on floor. The chair should not be too big for them. It should be easy for the child to slide back and sit with back support; at the same time they should also have thigh support. The thighs should be well supported on the seat pan. Additionally, there should be a 2 to 3 finger space between the edge of the chair and knee joint.

Adjustable

– It is suggested that parents consider two important adjustable features in the chair – the seat height and the arm rest adjustment which can support and accommodate kids’ different body profiles. Parents should be aware of the features available in chair and how they can be used effectively. Additionally, parents should ensure proper functioning of all the available features of the chair for smooth movement and usage.

Good support

– The study chair should have suitable lower back support to ensure the spine is erect and vertical.

Adequate movement

– Apart from adjustable features, the chair should offer various degrees of movement in the space it is placed. The study area should be clutter-free and safe for the child to use his chair without fear of falling or injury.

Comfort

– Lastly, the chair should be comfortable. Fabric and leather study chairs are ideal for providing material comfort too.

If the desk height is shorter than the child's height, he or she will hunch over to read, write and type on the computer, adopting the wrong postures which can lead to upper back and neck pain. Similarly, if the desk height is too high, it will strain the shoulders, neck and eyes while viewing the screen and typing on the computer.

Chair and desk height should always be appropriate for the child's height. Additionally, the armrest height should reach the table-top level to ensure shoulders are relaxed and elbows are well supported in a 90-degree angle.

It is recommended for parents to install an adjustable desk which will allow them to optimize desktop height as per the child's height. An adjustable desk will be of use in the long term as well. However, if the desk is not adjustable, one can accessorize the study space as per requirement.

Accessories for the right posture 03

To achieve a healthy posture, it is crucial to assess the upper and lower body for neutral angles. If the child uses a laptop as a primary device, accessories like an external keyboard and mouse should be used. Parents should install a laptop stand if the child's neck is bent, extended or pushed forward while viewing the monitor screen; they should keep the screen height at eye level or slightly below, to achieve a neutral neck posture. Books can also be used to level the height of the child and the laptop.

To correct lower body posture and get an angle of 90 degrees in the knee, foot support is crucial.

If the child's feet are not well supported the entire body alignment changes, and they tend to achieve comfort by adopting awkward postures like sitting cross-legged or by keeping their feet dangling. These postures can gradually lead to muscle fatigue and knee pain. As per the height of the body and the leg, it is advised to keep a small stool or footrest handy.

Set the monitor screen right 04

The difference in monitor height, alignment and distance between the child and the computer screen can affect one’s overall sitting posture. Parents need to ensure that their child works in a space where he can view the screen at eye level without bending the neck down, or moving it either up or sideways to reduce the stress on cervical muscles. Considering ergonomics while using gadgets like desktop, laptop, or tablets is vital for achieving an ideal sitting posture.

DESKTOP TIPS LAPTOP TIPS

The monitor screen should be at eye level. Keyboard and mouse should be at one level.

Shoulders should be well supported either on armrest or the table top.

Accessorise your laptop with external keyboard, mouse and a laptop stand for greater comfort.

Raise the laptop screen to eye-level by stacking available books, if you don’t have a stand.

The study room must have adequate illumination for children to see printed, handwritten or computer displayed content clearly without getting blinded. Bad lighting can cause eye strain, headaches and an awkward sitting posture. It can also cause eye fatigue resulting in irritated, red and dry eyes. Eye fatigue is often associated with headaches.

Avoid fluorescent light bulbs that emit harsh lighting. Instead, it is advisable to use halogen bulbs that are close to natural daylight. Ensure that there is no bright light coming from behind the area where the screen is placed as this may make it difficult to read off the screen and force the children he screen and force the children to lean forward and read.

One can use a desk lamp or set up the study desk by a window for natural light. If using a lamp, place it on the opposite side of the child’s dominant hand so that light sweeps across the study area without creating shadows. Ensure that children do not use a cell phone or computer in a dark room, especially at night before bedtime as it results in dryness in the eyes, headache and affects their sleep.

PRECAUTIONS TO BE TAKEN WHILE STUDYING IN FREE SPACES

Parents should always advise children to sit straight with adequate back support. They can use pillows or cushions to support the back for comfort. Additionally, they can arrange an extra pillow or a small table in front for reading or writing, which will prevent hunching or bending forward for long. Children should avoid being static in one posture for more than 30-40 minutes.

SCHEDULING

SENSORY

BREAKS IS IMPORTANT WHILE LEARNING FROM HOME

Movement breaks:

Parents should advise children to take mandatory breaks from the screen after every class or every 30 minutes. If need be, they should set alarms and ensure that this time is utilised by walking around, drinking water, eating a snack, etc.

Include pencil and paper:

With the increased digital learning, children are forced to engage in the continuous use of a keyboard and mouse to finish their projects and assignments. Excess gadget usage results in weak intrinsic muscles of the hands and can lead to cramps. It can also reduce grip strength. Parents should include fine movement/motor activities like writing, drawing and colouring in their child’s routine. These activities help in joint proprioception.

Bring the outdoors in:

It is recommended that parents creatively decorate the learning spaces at home to invite freshness and uniqueness for the child. They should place plants on their desk, which will be soothing to the eyes when they look away from the screen. Additionally, they can use artificial grass mats near the foot space which generates a tactile sensation each time the child takes a break. This mat can also reduce muscle fatigue and improve blood circulation.

HOW EXERCISE CAN BE YET ANOTHER FUN ACTIVITY FOR CHILDREN

Be it adults or children, staying physically active is equally important for everyone. Exercise improves overall health and wellbeing and starting it young reaps greater benefits. For children, it strengthens their bones and muscles, increases self-confidence, promotes a healthy state of mind and reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and obesity.

There are no two ways about how young ones are always active. However, they tend to get bored with any medium of exercise frequently. Hence, it is imperative to keep any activity as fun and engaging for them as possible.

As per physical activity guidelines for children and young people, those in the age group of 5-18 years should indulge in aerobic exercise for at least one hour a day. Aerobics go a long way in strengthening muscles and bones. However, this one hour of exercise cannot be spread out throughout the day.

Here are some fun exercises that children can do every day*

Be a starfish

This exercise is called Star Jacks and is similar to Jumping Jacks. Start by squatting, then jump with your arms and legs stretched out before coming back down to a squat. Repeat this movement.

Gorilla move

Make two fists, bend your knees and make broad low steps swinging the arms while keeping the fists clenched.

Crab walk

Put the arms and legs on the floor and lift the core up. Challenge the body to walk using arms and legs in this position.

*This should be performed under the guidance of parents.

TIPS FOR PARENTS AS THEIR CHILDREN LEARN FROM HOME

It is imperative that parents across the country supervise their children as they learn from home. A good sitting posture, ergonomic study environment at home and optimum physical activity can play a huge role in keeping MSDs at bay for these growing children.

Ensure children adopt the correct sitting posture

Make exercise a part of the daily routine

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Led by the largest in-house design team in the country in the furniture category and awarded with 34 India Design Mark Awards till date, GI aims to transform spaces with its thoughtfully designed furniture to create brighter homes and offices with products that have the highest design quotient in aesthetics, functionality and technology. With consistent pursuit of excellence and a special focus on health and ergonomics, GI’s product portfolio comprises a massive range.

Today, we design and manufacture furniture for office spaces, homes, educational institutes, healthcare facilities, laboratories and more. Along with furniture we offer Audio Visual and 360 Degree Turnkey solutions. Each of our product range revolves around comfort and aesthetics while delivering well-designed, fun and functional furniture solutions. Briefly, Godrej Interio transforms dream spaces to life!

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