You and your children are anticipating the start of a new school year. It’s also one of the most crucial moments to consider safety, particularly while picking the appropriate backpack. Backpack safety is largely influenced by its design, weight, and contents as well as how it is worn.
Backpack safety is important
Heavy or poorly worn backpacks result in over 14,000 injuries each year, over half of which necessitate trips to the emergency department.
Muscle strains are among the backpack-related injuries that occur most frequently. Your children may have discomfort and inflammation, or they may sustain even more severe issues. According to doctors, a child’s school bag shouldn’t carry more than 10% to 15% of their body weight.
Carrying hefty backpacks over one shoulder can eventually cause your child’s spine to curve and cause pain.
To aid in protecting your kid from injuries brought on by backpacks. When picking out and wearing a backpack, you and your kid should keep these three points in mind:
- Select the appropriate backpack
- Avoid loading too much and distributing the weight unevenly.
- Put the school bag on correctly.
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Continue reading to find out how good backpack safety can lower your child’s risk of injuries this school year.
Choose the right backpack for your child
The right backpack for your child should be chosen in order to ensure safety. Knowing what to search for is crucial because there are numerous styles and sizes available. These are some requirements for a secure schoolbag:
- Soft, lightweight material: Backpacks made of canvas, nylon, or polyester are comfortable, strong, and portable. Verify that there are no sharp edges or other uncomfortable features that can force you to wear the backpack incorrectly.
- Wide, thick, adjustable straps: These offer superior support and weight distribution. Pick a backpack with straps that don’t irritate your child’s neck or underarms and fit snugly on the shoulders.
- Size your child’s bag correctly: The backpack shouldn’t be wider than their torso. The bottom of the backpack should only protrude two inches below the child’s waist, with the top at their shoulders. Choose a school bag that is the right size rather than one that your youngster can grow into.
A number of backpacks meet the requirements for a secure, comfortable fit are available online or at local retail outlets.
Kid’s backpacks to avoid
Your child can come across fashionable backpacks while looking for a backpack and prefer those to a secure, traditional type bag. It’s critical to keep in mind that book bags, like many other things made for fashion, aren’t usually designed for safety. When searching for the greatest backpack for your child, you might want to stay away from the following bags:
- Leather bags: Leather has a good appearance, but it weighs more than polyester or canvas. Additionally, leather bags frequently feature large metal hardware and attachments that increase the weight of the bag.
- Messenger bags: Because the messenger bag only has one strap, it shifts all of the weight to one side, increasing the risk of neck, shoulder, and back injuries.
- Drawstring or “cinch” bags: These are lightweight, but they have thin, unpadded shoulder straps that, if overstuffed, can be painful.
- Rolling backpacks: The additional components in rolling backpacks can increase the weight by 3 to 4 pounds. While your child may not carry the pack as often, there will be moments when they must lift it, such as when getting on and off the bus. Additionally, rolling backpacks can cause accidents in crowded school hallways.
The first step to school bag safety is selecting the proper bag and staying away from potentially unsafe ones. The next step is to ensure that the bag is correctly packed and not overstuffed.
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Backpack safety tips for kids and parents
While you want to make sure your child is as prepared as possible for school, keep in mind that the weight of the backpack can incrase rapidly.
- Maintain organization: Your child will be better prepared to pack what they need and, more crucially, leave out what they don’t when they are aware of upcoming classes and homework obligations.
- Omit water and food bottles: 1 pound is added to the pack for every 16 ounces of water. The extra weight of food and water bottles is usually unnecessary because there are numerous breaks and drinking stations located around the school.
- Join forces with the school: To avoid having your child carry more books than required back and forth, find out if there are class sets or whether books are available online.
Early support for positive habits: Make it a habit to go through your child’s backpack each week to look for and get rid of any junk that has gathered there throughout the week. - Make sure they wear the bag correctly: By adjusting the straps for the most cozy and stable fit and advising your child to refrain from carrying the backpack on one shoulder.
Watch for warning signs: Even though the backpack is within the suggested weight, it may be too heavy for your child if they groan or suffer when taking it up.
Encourage safety this back-to-school season by following appropriate school bag safety procedures both inside and outside of the classroom.