Quick Tips: Backpack Safety

Today's tips are from me and are two days late because I forgot to post them!

Quick Tips: School Back Pack Awareness Day was September 20, and here are some tips about using them safely.

Back packs are a normal part of school life, but it’s important to use them safely.

• Backpacks should not exceed more than 15% of the wearer's body weight. That means if your preteen weighs 100 pounds, the backpack shouldn't weigh more than 15 pounds--unless the backpack is on wheels, not on the user's back.
• The proper way to wear a backpack is on both shoulders with straps adjusted so it fits snuggly on the back with the bottom against the curve of the back. Wearing the pack too low or loose can pull a child backward and cause muscle strain. A waist strap is a plus, too, as it helps distribute the weight.
• You might want to check what's in your child's back pack. It's not just books making the pack so heavy. Lap top computers, ipods, cell phones and other items add to the weight. Encourage your child to unload items he doesn't need, leave unneeded books at school and pack the rest so that the weight is evenly distributed.

Backpacks are part of school from kindergarten to senior year. Help your child use his backpack correctly to avoid neck, shoulder and back problems in the future.

For more school tips, check out my book The Middle School Survival Manual

Also please check out my Website

Other quick tips you might enjoy are:

Other quick tips you might enjoy:
Handling Grief Sister Day
Make a Difference in the Life of a Child

Budget-Friendly Summer Ideas

Preparing a Child's Heart for Easter
Showing Kindness Every Day
Fresh Starts

Embrace the Season

Keeping Your Mind Strong

Getting Your Preteen to Read

Help for Clutterbugs
Keeping Christmas Simple But Meaningful
Healthy Heart Tips for Football Couch Potatoes
Having a Personal Quiet Time with God
Beating the Winter Blues
Friendships That Cross Boundaries
Five Fresh Starts for Living
Positive Parent Teacher Relationships
How to Make Your Words Matter
Gluten Free Eating
Picture Book Month
The Healing Power of Forgiveness

Have You Weighed Your Child's Backpack?

Backpacks are part of the back-to-school supplies for nearly every child from preschool to graduate school. But with them come neck, back and shoulder pain, according to Barbara Kornblau, Professor of Occupational Therapy and Public Health at Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale.

Backpacks should not exceed more than 15% of the wearer's body weight. That means if your preteen weighs 100 pounds, the backpack shouldn't weigh more than 15 pounds--unless the backpack is on wheels, not on the user's back. Many students won't use backpacks on wheels because they aren't considered cool. Some schools have banned rolling backpacks due to the extra room they take up and accidents caused by students pulling backpacks.

Kornblau finds that the "cool factor" often outweighs safety when it comes to wearing a backpack. "The trend in many school is to wear the backpack on just one shoulder. The weight causes the student to lean to the side, curving the spine and causing discomfort."

The proper way to wear a backpack is on both shoulders with straps adjusted so it fits snuggly on the back with the bottom against the curve of the back. Wearing the pack too low or loose can pull a child backward and cause muscle strain. A waist strap is a plus, too, as it helps distribute the weight. Wearing the backpack like this might not be cool, but it's the only way to avoid strains and injuries.

Another thing Kornblau suggest is pulling out extra items in already overloaded backpacks. "It's not just the heavy books causing the problem," Kornblau says. "You'll find iPods, cell phones, water bottles--even laptops in backpacks." The ideal solution would be for textbook publishers to make books that weigh less, perhaps divide the book into two or three smaller books, but until that happens, students should be encouraged to leave books at school that they don't need and pack the rest so that the weight is evenly distributed.

Take time to check your child's backpack today.