Avoiding pain in housework
Back care while caring for children
Grown-ups must take care of their backs while performing specific
activities, such as picking up children from a crib, bathing them,
or teaching them to walk and taking them for a walk. It is also
necessary to educate children to protect their backs, especially
when carrying books and weight to school.
a) Picking up a child from the crib
When you pick up a child from a crib, think that
the baby is an adorable weight that could be potentially harmful
to your back. Lift the child following the recommendations in chapter
6. The most advisable way is through the "diagonal lifting" technique.
Start from a standing position with your knees flexed: Place yourself
near one of the crib's corners (for example, the left corner), with
your right foot back and your left one placed considerably forward.
Bend your knees, lift the child and stretch your legs to straighten
up.
Another alternative is resting your left arm at the opposite extreme
of your right foot. Lift the child with your right arm until held
close to your body, then lean your weight on the left foot while
no longer leaning on your left hand and stretch your legs to stand
up. While you hold a baby, keep him/her centered and as close as
possible to your body.
To get a child in or out of the bathtub, stand by the bathtub
with the child in your arms, close to the center of your body at
the chest and neck level. Place your legs apart and one foot further
behind. Rest the knee of the leg that is further behind on the floor
and your elbows on the rim of the bathtub. Hold the baby with one
arm, rest the other on the opposite extreme of the bathtub and place
the child slowly in the water. To get the child out of the water,
repeat these instructions in reverse.
c) Teaching a child to walk or taking a child for a walk
To teach a child to walk, do not guide the child from behind,
holding the child's hands with his/her arms stretched above his/her
head as it would keep you bent in an unstable posture, which is
harmful to your spinal column and uncomfortable for the child. If
you should guide the child, stand facing the child, both legs slightly
apart with one foot behind, flex your knees and rest your elbows
on your knees. In this posture, hold the child's hand and guide
him/her in a way that the child walks forward and you walk backwards,
with your knees bent at all times. Probably, your leg muscles will
tire rapidly from the effort, but this position is better for your
spine.
To walk with a child, use a stroller if the child cannot walk.
Otherwise, if the child can walk, it is best that he/she do so,
for the child's own development and for your spine's sake as well.
If you should hold the child, do it as closely and as centered to
your body as possible, holding him/her in the "camel style" (the
child sits on your neck with his/her legs hanging on each side)
or you may carry him/her on your back in a baby carrier. Another
option if you are to hold the child during a short period of time,
is to hold him/her on your side, resting the child on the hipbone,
provided you change sides frequently. Nevertheless, if the child
can walk, he/she should always walk. Lifting him/her whenever he/she
wishes is a hazard to your back and an educational problem for the
child.
d) Carrying books to school
When taking books to school, try to have children use a bag with
wheels, or a comfortable backpack, with wide straps, placed correctly,
distributing the weight between both shoulders instead of using
it as a hand satchel or over one shoulder.
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Back Pain Research Network 
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