Our experiences and education in life will, without a doubt, play a part in how we raise our kids.
Some of you may not know that I am a chiropractor. This absolutely plays a part in the way we do certain things in our child rearing. Not only am I a chiropractor, but so is my dad, my husband, and many other family members.
There were a few things that my parents bugged me about that most kids parents don’t even think about and because I want your kids to be as healthy as possible, I wanted to share the list with you!
I won’t bore you with a lot of details on why all these things can be harmful for your health, but I will give you a little snippet. If you have more questions about any of them, feel free to ask in the comments and I would be happy to elaborate.
Here is the list in no particular order of importance…
1. “Pop” their neck/back.
This one is hopefully an obvious one. Although, if you have been letting your kids do it because you don’t feel it’s worth the fight, let me tell you it is. Please get them to stop now. It will only cause them trouble as they get older.
2. Sit with legs off to the side and hip diagonal
When you do this on a regular basis, it trains your hip bones to be in that position. And, because everything is connected, it can cause a domino effect and other spinal bones can misalign as well.
3. Sleep on stomach
Again… when you sleep on your stomach, you are forcing your head to be turned for an extended period of time. It’s not meant to work that way. To prove it… right now… turn your head to the right or left and leave it there for 10 minutes. I guarantee when you turn it back straight, it will be a bit stiff. It may even be a little painful. When you do this all night long, you are setting yourself up for problems. Your neck is so important!
4. Play football
Okay, fine… this is just MY rule. I will openly admit, not all chiropractors have this rule. I’m including it anyway, though, because I think it’s important to realize what we are doing to our kids bodies at such a young age. Their little spines are not made to be tackled and bashed around like they are when you are hit in a football game. (or hockey) Just something to think about…
5. Have head down looking at a screen (texting, playing ds, iPod, etc.)
You may already know this one… They have even come up with a “diagnosis” for what happens if you do it… “Text Neck”.
“For every inch of Forward Head Posture, it can increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds.” – Kapandji, in Physiology of Joints Vol 3
This, of course, will put extra strain on the neck and WILL cause your child problems in the future.
6. Lie down with head propped up on side of couch
I get that it’s comfortable. You lie on the couch and prop on your hand with your elbow on the couch. Or maybe your head is up on the arm of the couch. Either way, your neck is bent in a way it is not meant to bend. At least not for the entire length of a television show.
7. Wear a backpack on their back with only one strap or carrying a backpack that is too heavy.
When your child carries their backpack on one shoulder instead of using both straps to carry it on both shoulders, it is causing them to put their bodies in unnatural positions that can lead to problems. If they have a backpack on one shoulder, they will naturally, whether they realize it or not, compensate by bringing the other shoulder up. This causes a positioning that will tweak the spine. Doing this every day will lead the spine to shift, which can lead to health problems.
The same concept applies to a backpack that is too heavy. Even if the backpack is being carried using both shoulders, if it is too heavy it will cause the child to stand in a position in which he is not meant to stand. The backpack pulls the child back with its weight, and so the child will lean forward to compensate, causing an unnatural compression/contortion of the spine.
So, really, why is all of this such a big deal??
One of our main jobs as a parent is to keep our kids safe, right?
Well, shouldn’t that also include making sure they do what needs to be done now to be healthy adults?
Isn’t that why we have them brush their teeth every day? So they don’t have rotten teeth as adults?
The same goes for all these tips. If we want our kids to grow up to be healthy adults, these tips will help them along in that journey.
Of course, doing only these things will not create an adult with no problems. They still should get checked regularly by a chiropractor, go to their dentist, eat healthy foods, get plenty of rest and so on.
I do hope these tips help you help your kids grow up to be healthy adults!
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This post was shared at Good Tips Tuesday.
Great list! Some of these I was aware of and some I was not, so it was very informative! I just have one question. Why is it bad to “pop” your back or neck? I have always heard mixed things about this. Also, does “popping” include rolling your neck, or stretching your arms out behind, or twisting around in your seat? Thank you for any information you can provide! :)
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Nicole @ Some Call It Natural Reply:
April 15th, 2016 at 11:35 AM
Hi Emily,
Great questions! Why is it bad to “pop” your back? This could be a really long answer, but I’m going to try to keep it short. :) I may even be able to answer it with a few questions… Do you know which direction the vertebra is moved out of place and which direction it needs to go in order to let your body function the way that it should? When you force your neck or other part of your spine in a certain direction and it “pops”, do your know which way the vertebra went? I’m positive the answer to all of those questions is ‘no’. And that is precisely why you shouldn’t pop your own back. A chiropractor is trained to know which vertebrae need to be moved and in what direction. Now, if you turn your neck and it pops without you putting pressure on it, then that’s probably fine. Just like sometimes our knees pop when we bend them, our backs can do the same. The pop you hear is just a release of pressure and likely is doing no damage.
I hope this helps you!
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Great information! thank you. Share more
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I’m curious about things like Jolly jumpers, and bumbo chairs for infants?
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Nicole @ Some Call It Natural Reply:
August 30th, 2014 at 1:57 PM
I do not think they are a good idea. We shouldn’t be forcing our kids to sit or stand until their muscles are ready to do so.
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I worked for a chiropractor and I learned so much. I don’t let my kids do this either after working for him!
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It isn’t good to sit in a W for many reasons! Definitely encourage a different position. http://drzachryspedsottips.blogspot.com/2011/10/prevent-w-sitting.html
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I’m a kindergarten teacher and students always want to sit “w” style with knees forward and feet back on their sides. Is there any health issues with criss-cross or “w” sitting on the rug? Thanks!
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Nicole @ Some Call It Natural Reply:
August 6th, 2014 at 12:39 PM
I had never heard of any health issues related to sitting that way until recently, so I consulted two other chiropractors about your question. One said it should be avoided and the other said it doesn’t matter. I suppose to be on the safe side, you could encourage the kids to avoid that position. How about just asking everyone to sit “criss cross apple sauce”?
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These are really great reminders and honestly, some of these I had no idea about. I am so glad you wrote this as now I’ll be thinking much more about it! Thank you!
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I know I’m guilty of some of these myself. I’ll have to be more conscious myself, and watch my children more closely!
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I’m so happy to read a list almost nothing is something my kids do..only the head down item is troubling. Time to work on that. Thanks you, great post.
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I did most of these things growing up which is probably why I was diagnosed with scoliosis at 19 , which is very late. Then diagnosed with forward head posture at 23. I found a straight chiropractor that was doing adjustments. Now I can only find mixed chiropractors who just want to bill my insurance and ask me about pain area. I even try to pay them cash just for adjustments and they say its better to bill insurance for pain. I have three questions, 1. Is there somewhere that I can find a straight chiropractor. 2. What can the couch neck lead to? 3. How can you find a pediatric straight chiropractor that will do adjustments for kids that have already done these things?
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Nicole @ Some Call It Natural Reply:
August 1st, 2014 at 2:13 PM
John, I’m so sorry you are having trouble finding a chiropractor that will just adjust you and nothing else. That is how my husband and I practice, so I understand your desire. So, to answer your questions… My best answer to your first question is that unfortunately you just have to call all the chiropractors in your area and ask them questions. Ask what they do in their office. Tell them you just want adjustments and see what they say. My answer to your 3rd question would be the same. Honestly, if you find a good chiro for you that will only adjust, I would be willing to bet they are great with kids as well. As far as lying on the couch that way… you are training your neck muscles to be in that position… your muscles can then move the bones in your neck out of place. That is one example of why it is not good to lie like that. Hopefully that made sense. If I can help you find someone in your area that practices “straight” chiropractic, I would be happy to do that. Most of my chiropractic connections practice the way you are describing. Please email me at somecallitnatural@gmail.com and let me know where you live and I will help in any way I can.
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This is such great info!!! Our backs are very important!
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Love this article. My daughter is 5 months old. Is there certain things or toys that you would not have your baby play with or on?
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Nicole @ Some Call It Natural Reply:
July 31st, 2014 at 12:52 PM
Thank you, Jennifer. Yes, at that young age, we never forced walking, standing, or sitting. Let those things progress on their own.
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Thanks for the information. I am a great grandmother and did not know all of the info you shared.
What about not letting your children slouch, especially for girls? I hear and see of more child delivery problems, back problems later in life, not to mention self-esteem issues associated with slouching.
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Nicole @ Some Call It Natural Reply:
July 30th, 2014 at 11:16 AM
Definitely… Children should sit/stand straight, because they are training their spine to “slouch”. I often have to put my hand in the small of my children’s back to get them to sit straight. I should have had that on the list. :)
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Great information. Thank you for sharing both your professional and personal opinions.
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Nicole @ Some Call It Natural Reply:
July 26th, 2014 at 9:18 PM
You are welcome!
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