In this article, we will look at the importance of correct Posture. We shall also attempt to answer the question: ‘why all the fuss around proper sitting/correct posture’?
To save on hefty physio & OT bills and to eliminate or reduce back-ache problems much later on in your child’s life, it is vital to ensure posture in the formative years.
Let us examine closely what happens when a child does not have proper sitting & positioning.
Children outgrow the traditional non adjustable highchairs at about 3 years of age. At this age, children cannot sit properly on an adult chair as it has no adequate back and feet support. This is because children’s sitting height is too low for the table and their feet cannot touch the ground.
As a result of this 2 main things happen:
- Due to no feet support/foot rest, the child’s feet dangle in mid air. When feet dangle in the air, it means the entire child’s body weight is supported by the feet. As this is unattainable, slouching, kneeling, fidgeting ensues.
- Lack of proper back support forces the pelvis to tilt and can result to low muscle tone in the upper body.
- When the trunk & pelvis are not supported, the pelvis is forced to tilt and can result to low muscle tone in the upper body.
The above results in a lot of discomfort experienced in the sitting position by children which is a fact that can very well be unknown to parents. Yes, parents will often ask children to stop kneeling, slouching, sit up right etc but may not understand the underlying reasons as to why that is, hopefully we have painted a picture for you.
On the other hand, when the trunk, pelvis, legs, and feet are supported safely and appropriately, it has been shown that a person’s ability to focus and attend to tasks improves greatly. This is especially so in the formative years for children when they are learning to master skills like hand- eye co-ordination, fine motor skills e.g. Drawing, coloring, reading, writing etc
The Enzi™ adjustable Wooden High Chair ensures that for a single investment, your children will enjoy these benefits from baby-hood to their pre-teens.
