Lighten Up!: National School Backpack Awareness Day
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September 16 is National School Backpack Awareness Day, which is an increasingly important day to recognize as kids bring more and more work home from school. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in 2010 nearly 28,000 strains, sprains, dislocations, and fractures from backpacks were treated in hospital emergency rooms, physicians? offices, and clinics.
To prevent these issues, The Little Clinic suggests the following tips when loading your child?s backpack. We recommend sharing these tips with your children, so that they know the best way to pack their backpack to bring home, too!
Always remember: No matter what, a backpack should not be more than 10% of the child?s body weight (for example: an 80-pound fifth grade student should not carry more than 8 pounds on his or her back).
Always remember: No matter what, a backpack should not be more than 10% of the child?s body weight (for example: an 80-pound fifth grade student should not carry more than 8 pounds on his or her back).
- Arrange the backpack so that the heaviest items are closest to your child?s back. This is most easily done by laying the backpack horizontally and sliding the heaviest items in first.
- Make sure that the items in the backpack are secure. When books and materials shift, it causes unnecessary and unexpected stress on the back.
- Avoid including materials that aren?t necessary. If something can stay at home for the day or stay at school for the night, it doesn?t need to be in the backpack!
- Hand-carry items that make the backpack too heavy. On days when a heavy backpack is unavoidable, have your child carry extra books in his/her arms.
- College students take notice, too. College students who are walking to class need to pay special attention also. If you can leave some books in your dorm room or car and make a trip back between class, do that.
When wearing the backpack, share these tips with your child:
- Always wear both shoulder straps! Only using one strap can cause the spine to curve and cause pain or discomfort.
- Select a backpack with well-padded shoulder straps. The shoulders and neck have many blood vessels and nerves that can cause pain and tingling in the neck, arms and hands when too much pressure is applied.
- Adjust straps to fit against the child?s back. Loose backpacks pull the child backward and strain muscles. The bottom of the pack should rest in the curve of the lower back.
- Wear the waist belt. If the backpack has one, your child should use it! The waist belt helps distribute weight more evenly.
- Choose the right pack. Different backpacks come in different sizes for different ages. Click here for tips on selecting the right one for your child or yourself.
So whether your child is showing off her favorite princess, his favorite Minion or a trusty Jansport, take a page from the American Occupational Therapy Association and ?Pack it Light, Wear it Right.?
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