Standing up, sitting down and back pain!

I've been a self employed face painter for about three years now and recently over the past year have been running my own professional business.
I would by no account say I am an expert and there is one big problem that I really need help with!
I'm a young adult but after a year of bending down to paint faces I get pain in my back, fast and at fun days etc. when there are over 200 kids it gets really hard.

I have changed from having the child and I both sitting to making the children stand up and put their hands on my knee's to stop them wobbling around, but this still isn't enough to stop me leaning forward and causing pain.

I've been thinking about an adjustable chair like a bar chair that can be altered in height so I can stand up, but I'm worried about safety and having to add this to my insurance.
Does anyone have a differen't way that they use? Any advice is appreciated.
Sam xx

Dear Sam: I believe there is a thread on this Forum regarding Standing or Sitting. There is not one right way to face paint.
Having said that....
I stand to paint.
I have a telescoping folding director's chair. I put a pillow on the back seat. It pushes a small child closer to me so I do not have to lean in, straining my disk that is herniating in my back. If there is a twitchy child who really, really want to be the Spidey-guy, I lean the pillow as a sloping ramp so they actually lay down and close their eyes and I paint them upside down.
I painted 18 days in a row, 6 hours a day this summer, and with me standing, my back is still healing. No back pain.
Happy painting!
xoxo

I am much older and cannot stand for very long without foot pain, so I and my customer must sit. Both my chair and my customers are the same... short director's chairs. I have a pillow behind me at all times for support. I also have a cushion for the little ones to sit on if they are too short (so I don't have to bend so far down to reach their tiny faces). I pull the chair as close to me as it can go and the I have the customer, no matter whether they are a child or an adult, put their knees together and get as far inside my open legs as possible. I know that sounds awful, but I almost always wear a long maxi dress because it works better...

I have a really horrible back... herniated discs and a lot of sciatic nerve pain. However, I don't hurt while painting because of how I paint.

It's the unloading and loading back up of my van that causes more problems!

I used to suffer back pain when sitting. I would lean forward and the kids would lean back, making me lean more lol. Killed my lower back. Now I stand and use a directors chair. I'd rather have tired feet than an aching back.

My back hurts if I stand more tham 15 minutes, so I sit. I do what Miss Ronnie does, face each other, their knees closed & between mine, adding one more step. I actually have the client place hands on MY knees. I wear pants. Usually I tell them 1st, that they need to lean towards me so my back won't hurt. "...if you can do that, I can paint ALL DAY!" (& I CAN) If it's a really tall adult, I stand & return to sitting ASAP.

Birthday parties and other 2 hour gigs, I use a directors chair and stand. Any longer than that, I like to be able to switch it up. Works really well if I am painting with a partner. One of us will have two chairs and the other a directors chair. half way thru, we switch stations. Any one position for too long is bad, and I'm still pretty young-ish;)

Also if an adult comes thru my line, I often ask if they mind standing facing me while being painted. That way I am able to stretch a bit!

I stand and make the kid tilt their head back. They can suffer for 5 minutes, I have to stand for the whole booking

I love working standing up. I am however vertically challenged..hehe)..and the director's chair works well.

My daughter is 5' 8" & gets a crook in her neck from bending over with the same chair. But it is still better than the other two methods for her).

We spent yesterday afternoon at Lowe's working on safe extensions for the legs a pvc type extension double thick, (ran about $20 for 4 since they were on clearance) permanently affixed with rubber feet added to prevent it walking away.

Typing this, I relized she needs a new footstool for the kids to climb up probably as well--a bit taller.