Life and school has changed significantly with the onset of COVID 19 and social distancing. Starting in March 2020, children began doing remote learning which involves a lot of time spent on the computer. This extra time on computers, sedentary postures, repetitive motions and stress on their eyes is causing issues. But there are ways we can help make doing school from home better and more comfortable for our children. It involves ergonomics and working with your child on setting up their workspace. Just like adults require ergonomic workstations for their jobs, we need to consider ergonomics, posture and movement for our children as they learn virtually. We can make this happen by adding small household items to current workspaces, changing postures or purchasing some basic equipment. Education on proper posture, movement breaks and other techniques can help our kids be comfortable, focused and safe while doing remote school at home.
What do we need to consider when setting up a home school workstation for our children?
Ideally we want our children to keep good posture while they are doing computer and school work from home. Good posture for children is as important as eating heathy, staying active and getting a good nights’ sleep. Poor posture and lack of ergonomics can increase discomfort like neck and back pain, headaches, eye strain and stress/ anxiety.
The following are basic ergonomic principals to follow when setting up a child’s computer workstation.
· First assess the space and equipment you have at your home. Does the child have a desk to use? Is there space in their room for a desk? Do they need to work at the kitchen table? Once you narrow down the options consider the work surface. If using the kitchen table or child’s desk, measure how high it is as this will be a fixed height so the chair would ideally be adjustable. If there is limited space, a fold up or portable desk is an option that can be set up during the school day. If budget allows there are adjustable school size desks or sit-stand desks that can work for children. Always look at the measurements before purchasing a desk to make sure it fits in the space but also has enough desk surface for the child to work or put a laptop / monitor and keyboard and mouse on the desk.
· Most tables and fixed height desks are 29-30” from floor to top of the work surface which is too high for most children (and even most adults). If you have the option to use a desk with a lower desk height or have a surface with adjustability that is ideal but most need to use a fixed height. If that is the case, having an adjustable chair is helpful so the chair can be raised to the proper height to work at the desk comfortably.
· Having a chair with some adjustments works best. Ideally use a chair with height adjustability, no armrests or small adjustable armrests and some lumbar support. Depending on the size of the child make sure the chair is not too big as this can create more issues. Many chairs can be modified to work for a child by adding a small pillow for extra low back support as needed or use a footrest or box under their feet if they are not tall enough for their feet to touch the ground. If purchasing a chair is an option there are chairs with height adjustability and lumbar support for under $100-200.
· Having the laptop screen propped up on a laptop lifter or raise the laptop screen on books and using a separate keyboard and mouse encourages good posture and body position. There are many options of laptop lifers and keyboard and mouse sets that are reasonably priced and are recommended if budget allows. If a having a monitor is an option this can also be helpful but make sure there is still a camera to use as most on line schools require the children have one.
ERGONOMIC TIPS WHEN SETTING UP A CHILD’S WORKSTATION
· FLAT FEET ON THE FLOOR: Ideally feet are resting on the floor with the knees at a 90-110-degree angle. This will distribute weight better through the rest of the body. Chairs with adjustable seats and footrests are ideal but if you don’t have an adjustable chair then create a footrest out of a box, ream of paper or books.
· NEUTRAL SPINE: Encourage your child to sit with their rear end in the back of the chair and feet on the floor. This will allow the child to have an upright posture more easily. If the seat is too deep, then use a cushion or small pillow to support their lower back. If the backrest adjusts, place it in a comfortable upright position with the lumbar support in the small of their backs.
· UPPER BACK: Instead of leaning into the computer, sit back with the shoulder blades resting on the back of the chair. No hunching or forward head posture.
· ARM PLACEMENT: Forearms should be parallel to the floor with the child’s elbows at a 90 degree angle while typing. The keyboard and mouse should only be forearms distance away to easily be able to type and use the moue.
· KEYBOARD AND MOUSE: An external keyboard and mouse should be used so the screen can be positioned at eye level. Ideally using smaller keyboard and mouse is ideal for children that are not yet adult size. There are many keyboards that do not have a 10 key and are smaller and wireless that are similar to the size of a laptop keyboard that work well for children. A small wireless mouse is a good investment as using a laptop touch pad for long periods of time can cause ergonomic issues.
· EYES: Eyes should be parallel with the top of the computer screen to decrease the chance for straining the neck. The easiest way to achieve this is by propping up the laptop so the screen is at eye level. There are laptop lifters that can do this or just use books under the laptop. Note an external keyboard and mouse must then be used. See illustration below. Teach kids to sit at 18-24 inches away from the screen. Encourage them to rest eyes periodically, by looking away from the screen, or closing eyes or blinking. This will help decrease eye strain and headaches.
· DIGITAL RECESS: Encourage mandatory breaks from the screens after every class is finished. Make sure your children stand up, walk, move and stretch during breaks during the school day as well as getting exercise after school.