Infants & Primary School
Kindergarten to Year 6
‘Big School’ as the kids like to call it, brings big kid experiences and with that new milestones.
In our 'back to school' check-ups we look at 4 main areas, to ensure that school and sport is fun. We will share with you what to look out for and how to help your child reach those milestones with confidence and ease.
We take a look at all environmental factors that impact your child during this age. We focus on 4 main areas:
- School bag/backpack weight distribution
- Sitting positions and neck/back strain
- School shoes and extra walking
- New sports and impact.
Complimentary Phone
Consultations Available
Not quite sure if chiropractic is right for your child? Our practice director Dr Jacey Pryjma offers 15 min complimentary phone consultations for new families.
Take the opportunity to ask the questions you have before making an appointment. Find out if chiropractic and Australian Children's Chiropractic Centre may be just what you have been searching for.
To book a complimentary phone consultation with Dr Jacey please click below to contact us or book online.
Let's Concentrate
Starting school brings up so many emotions as a parent. Watching your child put on her school uniform for the first time makes you wonder where did all the years go? You are blown away at how big they seem and then how tiny they really are as they place the oversised school bag on their back.
Navigating the world of tying shoe laces is another big challenge that comes with starting school. Such intricate fine motor skills are needed to tie those lovely bows!
The classroom is the first time your child will be required to sit still and concentrate for longer periods. She will be asked to concentrate more intently on one task at a time. This means she will also have to actively block the people and things around her that may distract her from her work. For many this is incredibly difficult as the primitive reflexes of the body (the baby reflexes from infancy) can in some cases persist well past the years of integration. Making the complex tasks of sitting still, staying engaged, focused and not being distracted almost impossible.
School is also the time your child will be really developing the use of the left side of their brain. This is the side of the brain that is all about logic, structure and order. It's the side of the brain associated with fine motor skills, math and science and detailed orientated learning. Children are very right brain dominant for the first 3 or so years of life. So this shift is huge for little brains to accomplish.
School Bags
Unfortunately there is very limited options available for younger and more petite children when choosing a school bag. When searching for a bag, look for padded shoulder straps, a strap for around the waist and if available, a strap across the chest.
The current recommendation for optimal spinal protection is that your child’s school bag should not be more that 10% of their body weight. For example if your Kindergarten child is 18kg, the bag should not be heavier than 1.8kg. This means many bags are close to the cut of limit even before items are placed inside!
Our chiropractors are actively trying to educate the public on how to avoid overloading the growing spine.
Sitting in Class
At the start of the term many children will be required to nominate a seat that will be their seat for most of the term. This means your child may be looking at the board and the teacher at the front of the room with their head and neck turned to one side for hours a day, 9 to 11 weeks a term.
As chiropractors we look at the body's symmetry and assess movement of the spine. If your child is sitting one way all term or they are already experiencing pain this may provide an opportunity to have an assessment with one of our chiropractors.
Complimentary Phone
Consultations Available
Not quite sure if chiropractic is right for your child? Our practice director Dr Jacey Pryjma offers 15 min complimentary phone consultations for new families.
Take the opportunity to ask the questions you have before making an appointment. Find out if chiropractic and Australian Children's Chiropractic Centre may be just what you have been searching for.
To book a complimentary phone consultation with Dr Jacey please click below to contact us or book online.
Trying new Sports & Activities
Your child will be starting to try different activities and sports during their time in primary school. You will see them use their body in different ways. Notice them being challenged in areas you may not have realised were difficult for them.
Not only is this great for the brain, it is good for the body to learn different movement patterns.
When your child starts school there are a number of milestones we expect them to accomplish easily. They include;
- standing on one leg for 10 sec. (both sides)
- hopping 10 times on each leg
- throwing and catching a ball 5 times with each hand
- performing a somersault on the ground
Sometimes there may be things that are harder due to pain or discomfort. Perhaps your child may avoid weight bearing on one leg, or avoid using one arm and shoulder. Avoidance behaviours are different to dominance (being left or right handed). A child may be more accomplished on one side of the body, but should be able to do the activities successfully on both sides.
Watching their movement patterns helps you understand how well the brain and body are coordinating and if they are able to use their body in a free and balanced manner. If co-ordination is an issue, these children may look heavy, uncomfortable or imbalanced as they move. Others may fatigue faster then their peers or look to expel alot more energy to complete the task/game than their friends.
Our chiropractors are able to work with your child to help identify if there are difficulty with movement patterns and if the neuroskeletalmuscular system is under stress.
Complimentary Phone
Consultations Available
Not quite sure if chiropractic is right for your child? Our practice director Dr Jacey Pryjma offers 15 min complimentary phone consultations for new families.
Take the opportunity to ask the questions you have before making an appointment. Find out if chiropractic and Australian Children's Chiropractic Centre may be just what you have been searching for.
To book a complimentary phone consultation with Dr Jacey please click below to contact us or book online.