At the ripe age of 37 years old I have just returned from gym where I managed to walk 8 laps around the track. I should be running, cycling and doing high impact aerobics with days in between that are filled with weight reps to tone and firm. Unfortunately my body doesn’t allow for any of this after I sequestrated and herniated my L3 and L4 disks in my spine. The lack of core strength is at the crux of it all. After visiting doctors and seeking alternative therapies, the conclusion is always the same. If I had a stronger core from the youngest age, I could have protected my spine.

Months of research made something else very clear. Technology is only making matters worse and now lower back injury is one of the most common ailments in the world. By the time we are adults the damage is already done. How do we, as guardians, protect our children against one of the most excruciating and debilitating ailments that is easily prevented?

There are so many little things that can help, without them feeling deprived of their technology or their fun. Here are a few ways in which you can assist your children in understanding just how vital their spine is and how a little bit of consciousness goes a long way.

Visual aids: Have a picture up of a spine that shows correct and incorrect posture when sitting, lying and standing. Draw smilie faces next to good posture and sad faces next to poor posture. Do fun exercises with your children where they stand up straight and slouch to feel the difference.

Time allowances: Nothing should be done for too long during the waking hours, be it sitting, lying or standing. After 30 minutes let them have a break and do another activity, even if it is getting a glass of water after sitting or lying down.  Especially if children are sitting, they need to move around as this is one of the main causes of spinal injury.

Posture: Playing video games and watching TV is usually done with children lazing on the couch. They can still enjoy these activities with a little more consciousness by making sure that if they sit their feet are on the ground and they are leaning back. Did you know that when you lean forward it is like carrying a 10kg bag on your back? That is a lot of pressure for a growing spine. If children are going to lie on the couch, make sure they are on their sides with their knees together and their head level to keep their spine straight. (This is also the best way for them to sleep)

Watch their neck: Whether doing homework, playing games or watching TV, their neck should not be too close to their chin. The straighter they keep their heads the better it is on their spine. Adjust their screens or make sure they are sitting where their heads can be as straight as possible.

Exercise and play: The more active and fit children are, the less chance of spinal injury. However this exercise does need to include balance and core strength in their activities. There are many sports that include this. Incorporate exercise into their game time and ensure they have games where they are able to interact with their physical bodies: virtual soccer, golf or dancing. When they begin, watch their posture and show them the right way to play or dance so that they are having fun and protecting their bodies.

Keep it natural: Try keep their posture as natural as possible to develop the curve of the spine. When lying on their backs they should not have a pillow under their knees and when sitting they should keep their feet on the ground. To assist, get them a little cushion to carry around with them that they put at the curve of their lower backs.

Eat themselves strong: A healthy diet will aid in the strengthening of joints and bones. Calcium, protein and fresh fruit and vegetable all add to the long term protection of their backs. A gentle reminder: if children eat enough natural foods then they won’t need supplements and will develop the natural habit of a balanced meal that is still delicious and fun.

Bending and carrying: Watch for school bags that are too heavy on your child’s back and make sure they only take their necessities with them. Take care to show them how to bend and stand when picking up belongings and tidying up after themselves.

As a guide, kid’s health have helped children to be more aware of just how simple it is to take care of their backs. After all, we can give them all the tools they need, but only they can tuck tummies in, hold heads high and keep their backs safe.

Guest blogger, Darrell Cuthbert is a South African writer, blogger, social media enthusiast and general life addict. After 17 years in the corporate environment he took up writing full time, a mixture of fiction and non-fiction. Darrell currently lives in Johannesburg, South Africa with his wife and two teenage children. Visit his website.

There’s a new show flighting on TV every night at the moment, and most of the day as well. Paywatch has both similarities and differences with the late 80′s and early 90′s TV show with a similar sounding name. Both feature a cast clad in red, engaging in adolescent behaviour. Of course the red Speedos and figure hugging one-piece swimsuits have been replaced by red t-shirts that are not quite as revealing. Thank goodness for that given the figures contained within many of them. The objective in Baywatch (ostensibly) was to keep the beaches safe and rescue troubled swimmers, the objective in Paywatch is…..well, actually the objective gets muddier by the day.

In a world where children wish they were grownups and adults dream of being younger, the great escape into the world of online social networking has given everyone the opportunity to fulfil some of those age-defying fantasies. Adults spend hours in childlike bliss as they play games that create worlds of fantasy farms, villages, battlefields and casinos, while children act older and want to socialise and have long conversations with cyber-friends beyond playing the same games their guardians play. The crossover into each other’s worlds is fun, filled with excitement and the obvious escape into the space they wish they could be. But where are children escaping to?

On Saturday morning a man who I met on a dating site greeted me and we eventually befriended each other in a more socially networked environment. The environment is irrelevant to the relationship, which is based on the communication of flirting and seduction. It took me a moment to realise that there was something unusual about the conversation I was having with this man and when it turned to talking about “My dad was born in …” I realised something was amiss: I was chatting to his 10 year old daughter.

Being an individual in a world that demands conformity can be scary. It is daunting for your child but it is equally frightening as an adult. You are subjected to fashion trends, rules about how you should raise your child and how you should relate, even to the point of why you should get married!

Why the need to conform? It is a structure designed to keep you safe because if there is a formula to follow then there is no need to take any risks or, more accurately, any responsibility. You get to blame the formula for failure and go on ignoring the core issue: your truth.

Your child is subjected to this same formula merely by being a part of this world and so there is no point trying to protect them from it. However, you can give them the special gift of knowing who they are before they feel the need to fit in.

Hi everyone!

It’s Majestica here with an update on how things are going. Everyone on the farm has been madly working towards the launch of the website. There is still a little time to go and it has been like filming a movie for us. We are starting to see ourselves on our computer screens, and the beauty of the farm is really coming through! Wow, we do live in a beautiful place and seeing ourselves is starting to show us how special we each are!

We have been listening to the songs that everyone sings while working and playing on the farm and we’re wondering which ones will end up on our album or even be our theme tune. Do your children have any ideas? We’re looking for simple and original song words that inspire us all to be happy, to have fun, and to never forget how special we are. We’d love to hear them so post them into your comments. This could be your child’s opportunity to share a little of their special self with the world.

Chat to you soon.

Parents and guardians: are you unsure how to tell your children about life situations like death and adoption? Is there an awkward situation in the family you don’t know how to explain? Are you concerned that your children will find these things out from the wrong sources? Do you fear for your children’s safety as they discover the world they live in?

We on the farm can help.

For every child now who is the future of tomorrow,
there is a place where their self love will grow.
Guardians, we ask you to simply step aside,
and sign your children up so they can come inside,
to a world that is made especially for every child near and far,
where they are free to be safe, explore and learn just how powerful they are.
Hello dear guardians and teachers too.

My name is Majestica and I am glad to meet you.
I am a strong and hard working horse,
Oh, don’t be alarmed, I can talk, of course.
You see it is because of the special place that I live,
where children can grow and learn from the lessons I give.
I live on a farm in a well known place,
it is called imagination and it is a magical space.
We are inviting all children no matter how small,
to become a part of the farm through the internet portal.
The farm is filled with my friends and my family,
who share in your dreams of all you want children to grow up to be.

I have a special secret that I hope you will share,
with the children of the world everywhere.
I know that there is something special inside everyone we see,
because my friends helped me to remember who I used to be.
Life can be hard and not every day is lots of fun
and I forgot to remember to be brave and be strong.
I could not remember that I was special at all,
and I thought I was just a horse very tall.
My friends tried and tried with all of their might,
to help me remember and it took all day and all night.
I stared into the water trough to see my horse face staring back at me,
and the more I looked deep inside, the more of my special secret I could see.