My husband is a stickler about having our children sit up straight if they are watching a cartoon or a movie on the sofa. He says it's really bad for them long-term to slouch. They are very healthy and very active. I'm just wondering if there's anything to support this from a medical perspective.
My mother said that all of our lives when we were growing up...I put that with the 'don't make faces, it will stick that way' kind of statement.
Look at how many parents don't say that...for example my husband...none of them slouch to this day and his mother never said a word to them about it. Who knows?
All I remember is resentment and nagging about it.
Perhaps having a "heart to heart" with him about picking his battles... Reminding them to sit up while they are in public, at restaurants, at family dinners, etc and definitely while walking seems a more worthwhile battle that while relaxing at home. At the next check up, get their pediatrician to officially tell him that it won't hurt them.
Absolutely..... have your children perform proper posture techniques is crucial for their growh and development. Especially later in life it will prevent the early onset of Arthritis in the neck and lower back. Support your husbands goals of having them lead a healthier life longterm...... with the loaded down backpacks kids carry I as a Chiropractor see so many chilren with "BAD BACKS" at such a young age because of their bad posture habits at school and away from school. You will be helping your children immensely not just now but years down the road!!
Severe slouching is definately not good for them. However, it is a misconception that perfect posture should be maintained at all times. Keep a rigid (board straight) posture at all times actually puts unneccessary strain on the bones and muscles. When they're at rest, let them rest, just don't allow them to "hunch." Hope that helps. Good luck.
Hey K., I go to the chiropractor and I had him check out my almost 3yr old daughter. She sleeps in the car a lot and when she does her head falls forward and always to the right side. The doc said that her muscles are being stretched in that direction and if we don't get her a neck pillow and try to get her head to lean the other direction then she could develop scoliosis.
S.
slouching is just a habit. the " if you slouch you will have a permanent hump on your back , or you will be slouched over permanently" is a myth . the reason why you see old ladies all hunched over is because of osteoporosis.Not because they slouched when they were kids.
I don't know about the medical perspective, but my mom was the sit up straight/stand up straight kinda mom. I developed late and ended up with a huge chest that I wanted to hide, so I slouched. She would come by and slap me on the back and tell me to stand/sit up straight. It was drilled into my head. Here is the upside, my posture is great! I sit straight, I stand straight with my shoulders back and I look taller. (which is a benefit for my chubby body, lol!) I am 50 years old and no back problems and still do not slouch. So, I will tend to stay on the side of your husband on this one.
Hi K.,
I agree with Dana on this one! I'm a Chiropractor too and can tell you it is very important for your kids to have good posture. Once in a while isnt too bad but they are out of your sight enough to keep reminding them:) It will help them later in life. When you see people with hunched over backs, its not just due to weak bones but also poor muscle strength which is built upon a lifetime of constant training. However, dont confuse this with relaxing every now and then. If they are watching a movie, perhaps they want to lay down or slouch a little. 2 hrs of constant sitting up straight can be hard for anyone, especailly if they are being still. Also, being clean is great but too clean isnt. When you say your husband is compulsively clean it makes me worry. We need those 'good' germs too! They create the 'good and friendly' bacteria in our GI tract that help use fight off the sniffles and simple colds, etc. If your not exposed to this, especailly as a child, it can weaken your immune system and have a neg. impact for life. Just be cautious and let them get 'dirty' every now and then. Hope this makes sense:) You may also want to give them probiotic drinks to help build up the good stuff if this is the case. Yogurt would work too. Feel free to contact me if I can offer any more advice. Best of luck to you guys!
I think it's important to try and sith straight but maybe pick your times a cartoon on the couch ? I think thats time to relax, does your husband really sit and watch a whole movie on the couch sitting up perfectly? I think thats a bit much. Try enforcing it at the table, during homework time ect but who wants to sit like a statue when your trying to relax, besides that couches are bad for you back in almost any position so what can you do? Just be sure to address your husband privately so your kids don't see you and try to play the field between you two.
Hi K.,
You've gotten a lot of good answers and I do agree with all of them but I wanted to add to...The spine is the center of all neurological activity in your body. Without a healthy spine, which is assisted by good posture, all sorts of problems can develop. From the simplest cold to a digestive system problem to slow learning. I too was a child that didn't listen to my Dad as much as I should have when he told me to sit up straight. I am paying for it now. It is not irreparable, but it's a lot of hard work and if your kids learn now, good posture will be a wonderful habit!
God bless!
M.
I have to agree -- good posture is very important! Everything from placement of the organs and blood-flow to outward image and even their own feelings of confidence can be effected by your children's posture. Teach them young and good posture becomes habit.
I saw a "slouching is just a habit". So is good posture, though. I remember being seven-years-old sitting on the floor with a friend of mine. We were watching tv and I was sitting straight (child of an Army officer) and she was hunched over herself. I remember she looked over at me and said, "How do you sit like that?" and I looked at her and said, "I don't know. How do you sit like THAT?"
Hi K.! I have no idea what the medical community has to say (which I do know was your question) :(, but I know from personal experience that I had poor posture as a child, and I still struggle with it today. My parents also constantly told me to sit up straight, but I rarely did. I have no idea what resources are out there for it, but I sometimes wish my parents would have looked into it... :(
Best of luck, and perhaps it's just a phase with your children!
I'm not a doctor, but I am a yoga instructor and in my training, we learned correct posture is extremely important in many ways, including organ functioning. I do not believe it is critical to have "perfect posture" constantly, but it is a good idea to have their natural posture be the ideal stance, and slouch only occasionally (rather than the other way around). My mom threatened to get me a back brace as a teen ager (hated the boobs), now I wish she had because I struggle sitting and standing like a should. Also, good posture just makes a person look confident in themselves, and that is a wonderful attribute to have.
Absolutely, your muscletone, bone developement, and, especially, digestion depend a good bit on posture. I correct the way my children sit and walk all the time. However, I do not agree with your husband's tendencies to be compulsively clean, even if he does the cleaning. There is nothing like building a bit of natural immunity...after all, what are immunizations if not a small dose of the bad stuff?
