When children are homeschooled, either through choice or because of the particular situation the world finds itself in right now, there are both positives and negatives that can come from the situation. Homeschooling is certainly the right choice for some, and even those who would rather be at their usual school can temporarily make the most of it. 

However, that doesn’t mean that homeschooling is one hundred percent positive. With more and more kids looking at computer screens daily, some health issues can come from this situation. The good news is that parents can nip those health issues in the bud or prevent them from even happening with a little know-how. 

Eye Strain

Using computers and screens all day for school work might be productive, but it’s not healthy for the eyes, and it can cause eye strain. Eye strain occurs when you have been concentrating on a screen (or book, or anything else) for a long time, and your eyes get tired. It’s an annoyance, causing sore eyes and dryness, but it’s not serious, and drops will help. 

What is serious is the risk of eyesight deterioration, something else that screens can cause. If your child is complaining of frequent headaches, can’t concentrate, has problems reading, or even says that their eyesight is getting worse, you should book them an appointment with an optometrist as soon as you can. 

The best thing to do to prevent either of these issues is to ensure that your child takes plenty of breaks, ideally outside away from the screen. In this way, the eyes have time to recover before work starts again. 

Overeating 

When at home, it’s easy to overeat. Snacks are always available, and meal sizes tend to be larger than when at school. Plus, you might want to treat your child once in a while because you know how hard they’re working. This can all lead to overeating, which can cause the child to gain weight or develop unhealthy habits. Although not always a bad thing, if they become overweight, it can affect their health in various ways, and it is hard to lose the weight again once it has been gained.

Try to stick to three healthy meals a day and keep snacks to a minimum. If the kids are hungry between meals, ensure they have healthy snacks available to keep them satiated in between meals. 

Lack Of Exercise 

Kids need a lot of exercise. They need it for health reasons, and they need it to burn off energy so that they can concentrate on their lessons. When homeschooling, this can be hard to achieve, especially when parents are also working from home and have plenty to do themselves. Yet without exercise, there are risks to health.

Ideally, children should have at least 30 minutes of exercise as part of their daily routine. This could be a swift walk around the block at lunchtime or a trip to the park after school. If there is nowhere to go or the weather is bad, try working out to an online video together; it can be fun for both of you to do together!