Weight of the school bag, how to manage it?
If you are like most parents, you probably don't even think about your children's backpack, except to make sure they have what they need in it.
But you may need to think again because the amount of stuff in your child's school backpack is just as important as what it contains. And there are good reasons for that.
School backpacks that are too heavy for a child not only cause discomfort, but a too heavy bag can also lead to various health problems. Especially after carrying too much weight unchecked over several years.
What should be the weight of my child's school backpack?
Doctors recommend that children do not carry more than 10 to 15% of their body weight in their backpack. For example, 5 kilos is about the limit for a student weighing 35 kilos.
What problems can a heavy backpack cause?
Carrying heavy backpacks can cause shoulder and neck pain, as well as tension in the back and lower back.
Some children who carry a too heavy school bag daily can also develop apophysitis, an inflammation of the growth plate that can sometimes affect the shoulder.
Over time, your child's posture can also be affected if they lean too far forward or backward to compensate for the weight of the bag, or in response to an uneven distribution of weight in the backpack.
New technology makes school bags lighter
In recent years, the education system has changed. Nowadays, many children are not required to carry several heavy textbooks as children of previous generations did.
This large pile of extra-large textbooks is now often replaced by a small tablet or laptop.
Both are also lighter and represent much less weight in your child's bag.
New tablets generally weigh only about 200 to 450 grams, and a computer can weigh about as much as a heavy textbook.
These technological advances greatly help children keep their bags much easier to carry. But this is not a generality. Many schools still work with textbooks.
Furthermore, designers of school bags and backpacks are working on lighter models. The materials and designs of school bags are designed to facilitate the transport of school supplies.
Tips for a lighter school backpack
Determine the maximum weight of the school bag
To minimize the weight of the bag your child carries every day, start with your scale.
You can physically put the backpack on the scale and determine if it represents more than 10 to 15% of your child's body weight.
Here's a formula to use to know how close your child's backpack is to 10% of their weight:
- Weigh your child (ideally upside down on the scale, so they are not obsessed with weight/body/numbers).
- Multiply your child's weight by 0.10. This is how you will know how much your child's backpack should weigh if you want them to carry only 10% of their body weight.
- Then weigh the backpack alone on the scale to see how much it weighs, and see if it's close to 10%. If it's 10% of your child's weight, you're in a good range. If it's more, consider adjusting the contents of the backpack accordingly.
To determine the maximum weight your child should carry (remember that 15% of their body weight is really the maximum they should be walking around with), use the same formula above, but instead multiply your child's weight by 0.15. If the backpack weighs this much or more, you will need to take steps to reduce what it contains.
Lighten the weight of the school bag
- See what your child can leave at home. Determine the books they really need at school that day.
- Buy a backpack that fits your child's morphology and has two straps for better balance.
- Choose a school backpack with wide straps and padded backs. Backpacks with tight, narrow straps that dig into the shoulders can interfere with nerves and circulation, which can lead to tingling, numbness, and weakness in the arms and hands.
- Distribute the weight evenly. To better distribute the weight, make sure the child uses both straps and the waist strap, if the bag is equipped with one. Tell your child not to carry their bag on one shoulder even if they think it looks cooler. This can lead to back and shoulder problems down the road.
- Strategically store the contents. Place larger and heavier textbooks closer to the child's body so they do not cause imbalance or falls when running and swinging.
- Make the solution fun. Another creative solution is to buy a wheeled backpack. Let them choose their school bag so they feel special wearing it.
If you see your child showing discomfort putting on or taking off a backpack, don't ignore it - it's another sign that it's too heavy or the weight is unevenly distributed.
Addressing these issues at the start of the school year will greatly help prevent problems in the future.
