Your child goes in school…

What parent wants to see their child healthy, happy, and ready to understand and enjoy the wonders of the world around them? The answer is unequivocally - all. However not everyone understands that the development of a living being, a child; that the level of his ability to function fully depends, to a great extent, on physical activity. When your child starts school, from the very first lesson he will be absorbed in hard work, but the amount of his physical movement will be reduced by 50 %. Moreover, the kid is compelled to adapt his internal biological rhythms - because of the external social constraints of school. All this convinces the 5-6 year old child who wishes to satisfy his natural need for physical exercise of the necessity of belonging to an organization which caters for such physical activity. And who other than the teacher - the parent, is interested enough to support the child? I invite all parents to review my lesson, where I show those movements and exercises which you can carry out, with a child of school age, at home before starting at ballet school.
The movement disciplines (choreography and gymnastics) have an enormous influence on the health of a child - teaching a good and beautiful posture. This posture correctly aligns the body while at rest or during movement. In a good standing posture, the head and trunk are relaxed, without any excessive pressure on the spine, the shoulders are held back and lowered a little, the stomach is slightly tightened, and the legs are straightened.
When paying attention to the posture of the child, one must remember that the backbone is the key part of the skeleton, a foundation on which the head and trunk are supported. It is surrounded with muscles which form the so-called muscular corset. Undesirable faults in the posture can occur when children who are insufficiently physically advanced have a weakness in their muscular corset. Therefore the most widespread reason for having a bad posture is poor physical development of the child, a weakness of the muscles, especially of the back and stomach. Another probable cause of irregularities is when muscle groups develop haphazardly, some muscles being more advanced, others less. So, non-uniform development of muscle groups can cause poor posture in the child. Parents should remember that poor posture is not usually congenital – it occurs during the growth and development of the child. Therefore taking care with the child’s physical development is fundamental for the formation of a correct posture.

What is it necessary to do, to ensure that your child has a good posture?

First of all, get him accustomed to sitting correctly during play and other tasks (his table and chair - should correspond to the child’s height). It is generally assumed that one is resting when sitting. But is the back resting? In fact the loading on the backbone is 30% more in a sitting position than when standing. This means that the backbone, tired from sitting has a rest when the person stands. Some words about the skill of sitting correctly: for example when a child has to sit for a long time at school. Sitting on a chair, the child’s trunk should make a 90 ° angle in relation to his thighs which should be horizontal and the lower legs should be perpendicular with the feet flat on the floor (or foot rest).
To care for the child’s posture, it is important to bear in mind not only how he sits but also how he walks. The basic requirement for forming a correct posture – the skill is to hold the head upright. But children cannot constantly keep up the proper position of the body, they get tired: therefore it follows that one cannot continually demand strict deportment when sitting and standing. Most likely he will stand casually, not keep a strict deportment or lean against the wall. While sitting, so that the child gets less tired, it is possible sometimes to allow him to adopt a relaxed position - to rest his head in his hands, to put his hands on the table or lift his knees onto a chair and place his elbows on the table. Second, supervising a child trying to adopt a good posture. The correct posture for the child standing against a wall, press the nape, shoulder-blades, buttocks and heels against the wall.
To learn how to adopt the correct posture or correct a poor posture we offer the following exercises to promote the extension of the spine:
  1. exercise: with consecutive breaths - rise onto the toes (in socked feet), simultaneously and smoothly lift the hands upwards palms turned in; lift the head and look at the palms; then while exhaling, return to the starting position; repeat 4-5 times.
  1. exercise: starting position - legs a foot’s length apart, hands linked on the head with the palms downwards; with consecutive breaths - rise on tiptoe, lift hands upwards palms up; then while exhaling return to the starting position; repeat 3-4 times.
After several sessions the child will remember the position for the correct posture, but during movement will not always remember. To accustom the child to holding their head upright, it is necessary to carry out the exercises with something balanced on the child’s head - wooden rings, cubes, bag/sack filled with sand, salt or small stones (weight 200-300 grammas). Exercises with an object on the head:
  1. exercise: starting position – stand with back against a wall in correct posture with the object on the head. While moving the hands walk forwards 3-4 steps and then walk backwards to the wall, keeping the correct posture.
  1. exercise: starting position - stand with an object on the head, keeping the correct posture, sit down on the floor, kneel and then return to the starting position.
  1. exercise: starting position - stand with an object on the head, step up onto a block, bench or low chair, then step down onto the floor.
To keep the spine straight, it is necessary to do balancing exercises, they will strengthen the child’s nervous system:
  1. exercise: starting position - stand on a gymnastic stick that is lying on the floor, legs together then transfer the body’s weight forwards onto the toes, then back onto the heels (stand straight throughout).
  1. exercise: starting position - stand on two parallel gymnastic sticks, one foot on each and balance an object on the head.
  1. exercise: starting position – balance a gymnastic stick vertically in the palm of the child, try to keep the stick balanced in the vertical position, alternately right and left hand.
As well as the exercises for preventive maintenance to overcome a poor posture we must not overlook flat foot and warn the children of this potential problem. For preventive maintenance use the following exercises:
  • Walk on tiptoe
  • Walk sideways along a gymnastic stick, to the right then to the left
  • Walk forwards and back along a gymnastic stick (left foot pointing left, right pointing right)
  • Walk lifting the knees high with the toes curled under
  • Walk on the heels curling the toes up as much as possible
  • Sit, grasp an object with the toes and then lift it (various objects).
  • Sit, back upright and legs straight out then bend and unbend the toes
A good posture not only has an aesthetic quality, but also a huge physiological value as it creates a favorable condition for the proper functioning of all the child’s organs. All these exercises are not difficult, therefore it is possible to do them at home. The number of each exercise for children of 5-7 years should not exceed 3-5 times.

What is necessary to begin?

In my opinion, before the child is of school age, the parent can increase the child’s physical activity, teaching them a habit they can perform regularly. First of all, daily morning gymnastics should become a habit. It is better, if parent does them together with children. Morning gymnastics reduces the transition time from dreams to wakefulness and promotes a speedy preparation of the child for work. And this is very important. I frequently study complex series of morning gymnastics that can be adapted for children learning at home with their parent’s help. I call these domestic tasks - my pedagogical chess pieces. And it works well, a pedagogical connection is formed between the child, the teacher, and the parents (in the role of teacher). Kids like helping with domestic tasks and carry them out with huge interest and relish the responsibility. It is expedient to change a complex series of morning gymnastics every week or every other week. Besides it is possible, to leave a series of exercises unchanged but do them from different starting positions. It increases the child’s enthusiasm to undertake the morning’s gymnastics. To perfect the various movements it is possible to include exercises in the morning’s series of gymnastics using various objects: balls (big and small), tags, toys and so on. The series will consist, as a rule, of 5-7 exercises designed to work various muscle groups: hands, legs, the trunk and others. It is important to begin with walking, progress to jumps and then more walking.
The first series of morning gymnastics:
  1. exercise: starting position – feet shoulder width apart, hands clasped behind the head, elbows forward. In a counting rhythm 1-2 elbows back to straighten the trunk, and breath in; 3-4 - return to the starting position, breathing out.
  1. exercise: starting position - feet shoulder width apart, hands behind the back. On the count of 1 - turn the trunk to the left (exhale); 2 – return to the starting position (breathe in); then to the right.
  1. exercise: starting position – hands on the hips. On the count of 1 - lean backwards, to hollow the back, hands out to the sides (breathe in); 2 - return to the starting position.
  1. exercise: starting position – feet shoulder width apart, hands by the sides. On the count of 1-2 - lean to the left (exhale); 3-4 – return to the starting position (breathe in); the same to the right.
  2. exercise: starting position – on the count of 1 - hands upwards and rise up onto toes (breathe in); 2 - return to the starting position.
  3. exercise: starting position - hands on the hips. Jump on the spot with two legs into a walking position (one forwards one back), next jump change feet (back and forwards).
The second series of morning gymnastics with a ball:
  1. exercise: starting position - feet shoulder width apart, a ball in the right hand. Rise up onto the toes, hands upwards, move the ball from the right hand to the left (breathe in); return to the starting position (exhale); the same with the ball in the left hand.
  1. exercise: starting position - feet shoulder width apart, hands on the hips, a ball in the right hand. Turn the trunk to the right, hands forward, move the ball from the right hand to the left (exhale); return to the starting position (breathe in); repeat on the other side.
  1. exercise: starting position - feet shoulder width apart, hands on the hips, a ball in the right hand. Sit down, hands forward, move the ball from the right hand to the left (exhale), return to the starting position (breathe in), with the ball in the left hand; repeat moving the ball from the left hand to the right.
  1. exercise: starting position - hands on the hips, a ball in the right hand. Lift the right leg, transfer the ball under the leg from the right hand to the left (exhale); return to the starting position (breathe in); repeat, lifting the left leg.
  1. exercise: starting position - feet shoulder width apart, hands on the hips, a ball in the right hand. Bend to the left, lift the hands upwards, move the ball from the right hand to the left (exhale); return to the starting position (breathe in); repeat on the other side, moving the ball from the left hand to the right.
  1. exercise: starting position - feet shoulder width apart, hands on the hips, a ball in the right hand. Bend forwards, lowering the hands to the floor, place the ball on the floor, stand up straight, hands on the hips (breathe in), bend forwards, lower the hands to the floor, and take the ball in the left hand (exhale); return to the starting position (breathe in).
  1. exercise: starting position - a ball in the right hand; jump on two legs, one forwards, one back. On the count of 1 - jump hands forward, the left hand to touch the ball; on 2 - hands back, the left hand to touch the ball.
  1. exercise: free musical improvisation with a ball – this is the children’s favorite exercise during the lesson.
Repeat each exercise one after another 5 - 7 times on each side. Learning a series of morning gymnastics, special attention should be paid to the basic positions: if the child is told hands upwards is means hands in straight lines, palms turned inwards, look at the palms of the hands. Your child will become accustomed to carrying out the movements correctly and beautifully. If this was interesting for your child then to support this interest in training and the acquisition of new knowledge, I ask you parents:
  • To strengthen in each child their belief in the forces, their desire to be active and to learn
  • Do not be put off by their doubts, their tactless concealment of mistakes and wrong movements, persevere and his self-respect will grow
  • To develop his creative power in every way possible, and do not constrain his initiative