When the first day of school rolls around, one thing parents are sure to have ready and “just right” is their children’s backpacks: exactly what they need, maybe a little more, but never too much.
As a dutiful parent, you no doubt even test the weight before expecting to start lugging around something that might be too heavy for their tender age and shoulders.
But here’s the thing: nothing is ever the same after the first day of school. So, unless you remain consistent in helping them remove what you need to see nightly, unpacking leftovers from their lunch, pulling out and reading homework assignments, etc., before long a backpack starts to feel like it’s filled with rocks.
Backpacks that are too heavy for kids can cause problems like back and shoulder pain, not to mention poor posture.
That’s why, when searching for your child’s new backpack, you should pay special attention to:
- Ergonomic design
- The correct size: never wider or longer than your child’s torso and never hanging more than 4 inches below the waist
- Padded back and shoulder straps
- Hip and chest belts to help transfer some of the weight to the hips and torso
- Multiple compartments to better distribute the weight
- Compression straps on the sides or bottom to stabilize the contents
- Reflective material for after-dark safety
Here’s what not to look for: an overly roomy backpack. Because the more space there is to fill, the more likely it WILL be filled. That, in turn, leads to a parent-child discussion about what really needs to be carried back and forth to school, and what’s better left behind.
For added around-the-clock safety at home, we invite you to contact Now Security Systems to help ensure the 24-hour safety and security of your home and family. After all, that’s what we do best.