slouching

[Anonymous]

My 8.5 year old is a big sloucher. This isn't a new problem, but I think seeing the rest of her turn into such a young lady highlights it for me. Her posture is very similar to my husband's and father-in-law's: arms rotated a little so that palms face the back, shoulders pointing forward a little, upper back (between shoulders) very subtly rounded. Seems to me like they're all put together a little funny, but since she's a girl, she's under some obligation to carry herself gracefully. DH suffers from back pain in addition to the family gorilla lurch.

How can I help DD? She took ballet classes until recently, but the teachers never really spent time molding the girls' bodies to correct their positions. I Googled and found some torture devices for sale... yikes. I found exercises too, but is there a kind of doctor or PT who can supervise them a little? I've tried correcting her posture myself, but she complains when I rotate her shoulders/arms open and out. Suggestions?

[zumbamama]

Dance, yoga and martial arts emphasize posture a lot...or at least they should be. You might look for more traditional style training that incorporates posture and stretching. Some teachers, unfortunately, leave important things like that out. Perhaps check out some other schools?

I tell my DCs that good posture will help them grow straight up instead of crooked. They like that idea. When I was younger, my mom had me walk around with books on my head...so now I do this with my kids and think its fun.

[Anonymous]

I slouched A LOT when I was younger. My mother always used to tell me to "stand up straight" and I even used to hear it from strangers! Is she able to correct her posture when you point it out to her? I eventually grew out of it...probably around the time I started middle school. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, Zumba. Is yoga good for this, then?

[Anonymous]

17:10, she can fix it somewhat, but complains bitterly. Some of that is probably drama.

[Anonymous]

Riding lessons.

[Anonymous]

Be careful. When I was a kid, my mom wanting me to stop slouching turned into a power struggle. I was a miserable kid and it seemed like one more way I didn't measure up as a "real" girl. I hated her nagging. (Thank god the definition of a "real" girl has changed.)

Still I wish I didn't have 50 years of slouching behind me and I do some exercises to help me with it now. So it's a good thing to address. Just be careful!

[Anonymous]

You're right, PP. DD doesn't appreciate my nagging. Still, I do think I need to deal with this. I also think the expectations for "real girls" continue to be pretty difficult.

[zumbamama]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks, Zumba. Is yoga good for this, then?

Definitely. Yoga is all about keeping your posture in check, correcting misalignment, lengthening the spine and a whole lot more. Yoga is good for everything! I wish it was a regular part of P.E. instead of kickball or square-dancing!

You could also get one of those big medicine balls that you sit on...it helps MAKE you sit up straight or you'll fall over! We use them at work to sit at our desks.

[Anonymous]

Great suggestions. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

Avoid backpacks. They make you hunch forward, and if they're too heavy, can cause permanent spinal curvature. I got a rolling pack for my son for exactly this reason.

[Anonymous]

Dear Dad,

There is yet hope! I had a similar problem as a child, which at one point got to the extent of talk of "scoliosis". I was an adopted child, so I didn't have any history to deal with, it just seemed that my sister and I were slouching too much. My dad was pretty strict, and I don't hold it against him. Now that I'm grown, I realize all the societal reasons he wanted us to fit it and excel. Precisely because of the high expectations of a "REAL" GIRL. In any case, I like the books on the head thing, cuz there is some competitiveness in it. I don't think I cared less about my posture, but I sure do now.

One thing he did with us, was asked us to stand against the wall for about 5 or 10 minutes a day. This happened two or three times a week that I can remember. Incidentally, when we would sit up straight in front of him more often, we had to do it less, but it continued for a few months, if I remember correctly. Incidentally, sometimes I do this now. Call me crazy, I'm sure it doesn't help me any. I think the idea is to do it during development. But I do sometimes realize that I'm slouching, notice other's slouching or with medical scoliosis, and realize I don't want that for myself. I love the yoga, tai-chi, and other martial arts, suggestions from other posters.

If the ballet teacher were correcting postures like she should have (just my opinion, doesn't mean she is a bad teacher), it may have helped.

If your DD is at "that age", just remember to also spend just as much time rewarding her for her achievements, or all your good intentions may fall by the wayside.

Good luck, oh, and as for the backpacks, get stylish rolling ones, as anything heavy is a BIG problem, specially for children with any family history of back issues.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks.

In defense of the ballet teachers-- they felt the girls were too young for really critical positioning. I disagreed, but then, my own ballet training was very traditional and serious, and I don't necessarily want that for DD either.

I asked her if she'd be interested in yoga... she said maybe.

[Anonymous]

Just an FYI...many schools don't allow rolling backpacks. And I think my lovely daughter's posture has been totally messed up by the massively heavy backpack she's been schlepping to and from school these past few years

[Anonymous]

If your daughter's school doesn't allow the rolling kind, you are legally allowed to request an additional textbook for your child for each of the subjects that she would need it for homework. I know this is outside of the reality of many DCPS schools, but I would look into it if I were you...

Doesn't hurt to ask.