The summer holidays are over and it won’t be long before the moment arrives when parents and children will be flocking to the stores in search of a new school bag and its contents.
Amidst all the panic, try to stop for a moment and think about how heavy you want your child’s bag to be.
It is common knowledge that children should not carry more than 10% of their body weight.
When we stuff the bag with too many books, notebooks, pencil cases and lunch boxes, the now very heavy school bag sits in the wrong place on the shoulders, resulting in weight shifting. In this case, the child will quickly tire and will adopt incorrect positions in order to cope with the ‘test’.
Anatomically speaking, such a weight shift will cause extensive pressure on the spine and biomechanical changes that will cause completely incorrect postures.
Especially for students aged 10-14, such compressive forces are of critical importance due to the developmental course of the entire musculoskeletal system.
Let’s not forget the phenomenon of students of smaller size in terms of weight and height carrying the same load as students of larger physical characteristics, which is obviously completely wrong.
Parents who are concerned about the issue of school bags should keep in mind that of all types of school bags, backpacks with wide straps are the most suitable. Messenger bags or fashion bags with thin straps are not a good choice due to poor weight distribution.
When the right backpack is used correctly, the strongest core muscles – back muscles and abdominal muscles – take on the weight of the school bag. If the bag is not too heavy, the weight and strain are distributed properly.
The role of parents
Poor posture is a serious issue, especially for children who are still developing. Unfortunately, admonishing children about proper posture is often accompanied by a lot of whining from them.
Children tend to adopt fashion trends without considering the musculoskeletal consequences. The role of the parent in proper communication and a detailed explanation of the mechanism by which the bag can cause musculoskeletal injury is crucial.
Of course, it is understandable that many parents are faced with the child’s strong resistance to comply, especially if they have to choose between an indifferent anatomical bag and a trendy bag with their favorite superhero. The job of a parent who is called upon to combine the right with the desired is quite difficult and usually requires extensive market research.
The best solution to this problem is to educate the child from a very young age, so that later the philosophy of proper posture has become second nature to the child.
Another role of the parent is to observe. When the bag is too heavy will you notice the following signs?
• Change in posture (leaning forward, leaning to the side, excessive lordosis)
• The child has difficulty even lifting the bag to place it on his back.
• The child often complains of back and waist discomfort.
• The child sometimes reports tingling or numbness in the hands.
• The bag leaves very strong marks and redness on the shoulders.
School bag – 10 tips for choosing the right one
1. Make sure the back of the school bag is stable with foam padding and no larger than the child’s chest opening.
2. Wide and padded back straps are also important. Thin straps usually press on the shoulders in various places, forcing the child to change posture at incorrect angles.
3. Make sure the child wears both back straps and not just one. Even distribution on both sides of the body is vital.
4. The back straps should be adjusted to such a length that the base of the bag is just above waist height. The bag should never sit on the child’s hips. The bag should be straight at the height of the back, without painful bulges or curves.
5. The school bag should have separate compartments for all school supplies. Make sure that the largest and heaviest books go in the back pockets and as close to the trunk as possible.
6. A bigger school bag doesn’t necessarily mean a better one. The larger the capacity of the bag, the greater the tendency to fill it with unnecessary things. Choose a size that will only fit the essentials.
7. If the school bag remains too heavy despite your efforts, talk to the teachers. Find a solution together, such as keeping the heaviest books at school.
8. It is not only the weight of the bag that matters, but also the amount of time the child carries it in everyday life. Make sure that the child saves some time from carrying the load every day by reminding him to put it down when it is not necessary to have it on his back (e.g. waiting for the school bus, at traffic lights, etc.)
9. Observe the bag for possible damage. Many times the straps wear out and an uneven distribution of the load begins. In addition, there is a risk that a strap of the bag will cut before you have time to make the necessary corrections such as sewing.
10. Make sure the weight of the bag does not exceed 10% of the child’s body weight. If the child weighs 35kg, make sure the bag does not exceed 3.5kg.
