6 harmful things parents accidentally do to their children
Parents’ seemingly harmless habits or seemingly well-meaning actions unintentionally impact their children’s heal
Parents always love their children unconditionally. However, lack of understanding causes many parents to make many mistakes in taking care of their children, unintentionally causing harm to the children, such as those listed below.
Let children play inappropriate sports
Playing sports is great for children, but some sports can be risky for children. Doctors warn that sports that can be especially dangerous for children are mixed martial arts, boxing, wrestling, and rugby. ice Hockey. In these sports, children can get hit on the head a lot and suffer brain damage.
Some other high-impact exercise activities can also injure the spine and back. Children running long distances, lifting heavy weights or being a cheerleader with strong landings can lead to serious injuries and scoliosis.
Let your child use electronic devices freely
Limiting the amount of time children spend using electronic devices is very important. Looking at electronic screens for long periods of time can cause eye problems such as dry and sore eyes due to reduced blinking. Children who spend a lot of time in front of screens can become nearsighted because they don’t get enough natural light.
Another consequence of prolonged, continuous screen viewing is that children have difficulty focusing on distant objects. This habit also disrupts sleep and affects health. Therefore, parents should encourage children to play outdoors to ensure good sleep and promote communication.
To protect your child’s eyes, it’s important to take a break from electronic devices and follow the 20-20-20-2 rule. That means every 20 minutes, have your child look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds and blink 20 times. Also, encourage children to play outdoors for at least two hours a day.
Parents should let children use devices with larger screens and at a reasonable distance, which will help reduce eye strain compared to small screens placed close by.
Always let children run barefoot
Flat feet in children can be caused by genetics but can also be caused by children not wearing shoes or sandals. Children who walk barefoot for a long time may develop flat feet. If this disease is not treated promptly, it can lead to many serious problems, affecting the musculoskeletal system, the mobility of the feet and causing unpleasant pain.
However, if detected and treated early during the “golden age”, children will recover quickly and will not face many limitations in daily activities.
Frequently let children go outside without sunscreen
Parents need to remember to protect their children’s skin in the sun. Studies show that most common cases of skin cancer are related to sunlight. Parents should teach children to protect their skin by applying sunscreen, wearing sun-protective clothing and keeping children in the shade.
Children from birth to 6 months old are only exposed to harsh sunlight when on vacation or at outdoor events, so you can easily protect them. As for older children, parents should remind them to use sunscreen when going outside.
Look for fragrance-free sunscreens that contain minerals like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide because they are less likely to cause skin irritation. In addition, parents need to cover their children with hats, sunglasses and wear sun-protective clothing that protects against ultraviolet rays.
Using toothpaste is not suitable for children
Children should not use adult toothpaste because the amount of fluoride is 3 times more than that of children’s toothpaste. Toothpaste high in fluoride can easily cause fluorosis and erode children’s teeth. In addition, the reaction of children swallowing ice cream can cause vomiting and allergies.
Parents should also not buy toothpaste that tastes too delicious, as children can easily mistake it for food. The cream flavor should be just enough to create a smell and increase children’s interest in brushing their teeth.
Clean your child’s ears with a cotton swab
Experts advise against cleaning ears with cotton swabs. Earwax is really good for the ears, it acts as a dirt filter, preventing dirt from going deeper into the ear.
Our ears are naturally self-cleaning, so you don’t need to clean them with a cotton swab. When you chew or move your jaw, or when new skin grows inside your ear, it pushes old earwax out. Using cotton swabs can push earwax deeper and could damage the ear canal or eardrum.
Earwax buildup doesn’t happen often. According to experts, only 1/10 of children and 1/20 of adults encounter this problem.
If you have pain, itching, ringing in your ears, difficulty hearing, or strange discharge, it may be because you have too much earwax. See your doctor for advice and instructions on how to handle it.
