Backpacks are too heavy
Thursday, September 20th, 2012
Yesterday was National School Backpack Awareness Day. I wouldn’t normally write a post on this, but I received this photo of two of my granddaughters wearing backpacks. It dawned on me that little tikes like to imitate their older siblings (that’s our 2 year-old with her older sister) and can easily overdo it when hauling their treasures around.
Did you know that there are over 2,000 backpack-related injuries treated each year? There are more than 79 million students in the U.S. who carry school backpacks, and over 64% of students in one study reported having back pain. And I don’t believe that includes preschoolers or toddlers going to daycare. Yikes!
According to the American Occupational Therapy Association, “The way backpacks are worn affects your health. The height of the backpack should extend from approximately 2 inches below the shoulder blades to waist level or slightly above the waist.” A loaded backpack should never weigh more that 10% of the student’s total body weight. (So, a student weighing 70 pounds should carry a backpack weighing no more than seven pounds.) Is this what your kids are carrying? Check it out.
Here is a link to strategies for parents and students to help avoid health problems. It’s a great idea to start precautions when your children are tots and develop healthy habits before strain and pain can happen.
