Packing the Backpack For School

If your child is going back to school, chances are he or she will be taking a backpack along. Many kids carry a lot in their backpacks - lunch, schoolbooks, even school supplies. Is that too much? How much should a child carry? Dr. Emily Senay has some answers:

• The first and most important thing is that the backpack should never weigh more than 5% to 10% of your child's total weight.

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  If the backpack weighs more than that, the child will have to bend forward to support the weight on his back. That could be real hard on the back. He should be able to carry his pack standing straight up.

• When your child puts the backpack on, you need to make sure they use both shoulder straps.

  A backpack slung over one shoulder disproportionately shifts all of the weight to that side and can cause neck and muscle spasms as well as lower back pain and even headaches.
  
  

• The straps of the backpack should be padded so they won't dig into your kid's shoulders and cause problems that way.
• Straps should also be adjustable so that the backpack can be properly fitted to the body.

  If the straps are too loose, they can cause the backpack to dangle from the body and that is also bad for the back.

• If your child insists on cramming everything into the backpack, you might want to talk to the teacher. Maybe the heaviest books can be left at home, replaced by handout material or workbooks.

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