Improving Sitting Tolerance

Children these days could sit in front of the computer, television or any portable gadget for hours without being bothered as they sit. However, problems arise when these gadgets are removed, as they are forced to wait, to get bored, to work or to even follow simple instructions.

Think of yourself as you work, attend company meetings, type your e-mails and as you wait in queue at the bank. Now, think of your kid as they participate actively in the classroom, eating with the relatives at a family gathering, and even doing their assignments in the evening.

All of us are expected to do tasks while sitting down. I know there are a lot of research studies that say that sitting is not good for you, especially for long periods of time, as it makes you sedentary and predisposes you to various medical conditions. But, lacking the skill for sitting down poses greater risks in one’s productivity, life participation and even mental health in the future.

To be able to focus and accomplish tasks, we must learn to sit down. Hence, the saying that ‘let’s sit and get down to it (to finish the task).’

Different strategies that will help your child sit down properly and accomplish tasks on the chair.

1. Teach them the concept of sitting down which means to get your butt down on any stable surface- the chair or the floor and practice it repeatedly in various scenarios and places- while eating, playing, writing or doing arts and crafts, or while at the church, restaurant, or movie theater. For kids unable to follow through, you can demonstrate it yourself, show them pictures or even put them in the sitting position yourself. Praise them as they follow and as they are able to remain seated.

2. If your child is able to sit down, but only momentarily, you can improve or prolong their sitting tolerance by providing interesting activities while seated. Provide easy to do arts and crafts activities, games, and writing or coloring tasks to keep them engaged. Provide rewards or praise as they are able to complete the task while sitting down.

3. The current generation of children is not playing outdoors or moving around so much due to multiple factors such as gadget usage and the increased pressure and workload from academics decreasing time for outdoor play or physical extracurricular activities such as after-school sports. So it can follow that these children may have less developed core strength and vestibular system which are important for paying attention and learning.

For now, provide more play activities and opportunities that utilizes big movements of different body parts such as the head, trunks, hips, and legs. Inside the house, you can ask your kids to help with the household chores, do bodyweight exercises. Outdoors, you can let them play outside at the park- run or goof around, basically just let kids be kids. There are safety risks but they need goofy and rough types of play for their sensory systems to develop properly, which is crucial for preparing the body to learn and absorb information. In lieu with this, we have to provide stimulating yet safe environments for our child to be able to fully explore his or her body and how this relates to the environment.

4. Fidgeting can be an indicator that shows that children are not getting enough movement throughout the day. We have to fix the underlying issue and not just force the kids to sit down. Make them play and move. Provide tasks that make them move. Movement or sensation is the ‘food for the brain’ to keep it alert, functioning and to provide a good foundation for higher-level cognitive thinking skills. Without sensation or movement, the mind and body goes into ‘sleep’ mode, so even if your kids are just sitting still, as they are forced to, not much learning and retention is actually happening.

5. Create Family Routines. You can establish family activities or routines that requires each member to sit down fully and engage. This includes playing board games, watching movies, having conversations during dinner, or even some individual quiet time for reading stories or magazines. The child learns this skill easily if he or she sees familiar and older individuals doing it.

6. Establish your authority. You have to establish boundaries and see to it that it is followed. Give the child the right to have fun experiences, but you still need to have control of the circumstances. Set the rules and the corresponding rewards or reprimands when things go out of way. This way, they will be more secure in exploring the environment or engaging in different activities as they have an idea of what is expected of them or not.

Lastly, be generous with your rewards and praises. Let kids be kids. Parents and teachers are just here to facilitate growth that is inherent in each and every child. Learning should not be forced and not be seen as a chore or as a threat.