Thanks to COVID-19, we got to experience a revolution in all domains of life. From the way businesses operated to how schools taught, COVID-19 changed everything for everyone. While we couldn't even imagine having kids study at home, today, most schools have adapted to remote schooling, and they've successfully ensured that children don't fall behind in learning.
While remote schooling poses particular challenges for the school, students, and parents, it has definitely become easier with time.
Remote learning means that children spend more time in front of their computers than ever before. Most kids were allowed a certain time to use the computer, but now, children have a good excuse to spend long hours sitting in front of their computer screens.
This necessitates that parents invest in the right ergonomic furniture for their children to ensure the kids don't fall prey to any health complications resulting from poor ergonomics.
It's a serious concern for parents of students who are studying from home, and it's every bit justified. This blog post will help you set up a more ergonomic study area for your children. So, let's get down to the matter of importance right away!
How Important Are Ergonomics for Children?
The simplest answer to this question is that ergonomics is as important for children as for adults. In fact, we believe ergonomics for children is more important because children are more susceptible to developing health conditions than adults.
You may be surprised to know that the prevalence of back pain in children has increased by a significant degree. A study conducted on about 600 elementary school students showed that about 33% of kids age 9 years suffer from lower back pain; this rate is higher, about 48%, for older children (age 15 years or older).
Some of the reasons why you need to provide your child with the right ergonomic furniture at home to facilitate remote learning are listed below:
High Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs)
If your child is sitting hunched over their books or in an incorrect posture on a chair while using the computer or sitting in a half-laying posture on the bed while using the laptop, they're at a high risk of developing MSDs. These are long-term disorders that are characterized by pain in the lower back, neck, and shoulders. Headaches are also very common.
This is primarily because of the incorrect posture that stresses the spine and the lower body muscles. The wrong posture also puts stress on the muscles of the shoulders, neck, and arms if the child has to raise their arms to uncomfortable heights to write or use the keyboard or mouse. When the stress is prolonged, the muscles can get fatigued, and this is what causes the pain that your child complains about.
Increased Level of Discomfort
Imagine sitting in the office on an uncomfortable chair for 5 to 8 hours straight. Would that cause your body to feel stiff? Well, your child's body is no different. When your child is sitting on a regular chair and using a table that's not the right height for them, they'll naturally adjust their posture to suit themselves, and that's usually (read: always) wrong.
When your child isn't comfortable, they won't be able to focus on their lecture or notes. This would affect their learning big time. They won't be able to understand what their teacher is teaching and fail to retain what they learned.
Problems with Bone Development
Children's body is continuously developing. Their bones are getting calcified, and this process is at its peak when a child is in their teens. Allowing your child to sit in an incorrect posture while studying can lead to healthy bone development and growth. The prolonged wrong posture may affect bone growth, and this can lead to serious, lifelong complications.
Risk of Eyesight Weakening
It's all because of the computer advancements that made remote learning a possibility. Having said that, children spend more time in front of their computers today than ever before, and this puts them at a major risk of weak eyesight. The glare from the computer screen puts strain on the eyes, and this can result in the weakening of vision.
How to Improve Remote Learning with Ergonomic Furniture for Kids?
Now that you know all that can possibly go wrong if you don't provide your child with suitable ergonomic furniture for their study-from-home phase, it's high time that you look into your options.
Let's walk you through the many ways ergonomic furniture for kids can help:
Ergonomic Desk
The first and the most important piece of furniture that you should invest in for your child is an ergonomic desk. The best type of desk for your child is a sit-to-stand desk like the Esben Standing Desk UD4. Children spend most of their day in sedentary positions at home. They don't get to run around or walk as much as they usually did at school.
This puts them at a higher risk of developing MSDs. However, an ergonomic standing desk can change that. These desks come with an adjustable height feature that allows your child to adjust the desk height as per their comfort. They can alternate between standing and sitting while studying as these desks can also be lowered to be used as regular sitting desks.
The best thing about investing in an ergonomic desk for your child is that it'll grow with your child. You won't have to get a new desk when your child becomes too tall for the desk. You can always increase the desk's height according to your child's height.
Ergonomic Chair
A chair is as important as a desk because that's what your child will use when sitting. An ergonomic chair is unlike the regular wooden chairs available at most kids' stores. They're equipped with numerous features to ensure your child is comfortable and safe.
All ergonomic chairs have an adjustable height feature that allows the child to lower or raise the seat as per their comfort. Ideally, their feet must be flat on the ground to ensure the vessels at the back of the knee aren't getting compressed. You should invest in a chair that has not only an adjustable height feature but also other features like an adjustable backrest, adjustable seat, and armrests. All of these features will ensure optimum comfort and safety for your child.
Foot Support
Not many children are conscious of their posture, especially the younger ones. They won't understand the risks even if you tell them. What you can do to ensure they don't put themselves at any risk is to provide foot support so that their feet don't dangle in the air. Foot support is an essential piece of equipment you shouldn't overlook when setting up an ergonomic study corner for your child.
Ergonomic Keyboard
Ergonomic keyboards for children are smaller in size. This allows the child to place their hands comfortably. If a child continues to use a regular keyboard, both their hands will be placed far away from each other, and they'll have to raise the entire hand to press a key further away. That can increase the risk of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
A smaller ergonomic keyboard is designed with children's needs in consideration. It ensures that your child's hands are placed at the right angle over the keyboard, and their hands are the correct distance apart. These keyboards also have wrist support so that their wrists don't scratch against the edge of the keyboard.
Ergonomic keyboards for kids ensure the correct placement of hands on the keyboard, thereby reducing the risk of RSI and shoulder pain due to the incorrect position of hands and arms while typing.
Ergonomic Mouse
If your child is using a laptop for their studies, we would suggest you invest in an ergonomic mouse for your child. Using the touchpad of the laptop can result in pain in the fingers (and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in the long run). An ergonomic mouse will ensure a neutral position of the hands and that your child doesn't have to put excessive stress on their fingers to press the button.
The push buttons on an ergonomic mouse are much softer and more sensitive than those on a regular mouse, so the child only has to press on it very lightly.
Bottom Line
Investing in the appropriate ergonomic furniture for your child to facilitate their remote learning experience will ensure optimum comfort and information retention. Your child will be the most comfortable while they study and with higher comfort comes better focus. The better your child can focus, the more quickly they'll grasp the concepts and the better results they'll get.
While it may seem like a significant investment right now, you're actually doing your child a lifelong favor!
