Tips on backpack safety
| Safety | Healthy You
Help your child avoid unnecessary strain & pain.
This school year and year-round, there are ways to prevent the neck, shoulder and back strain caused by an overly large or overloaded backpack.
Recommendations include:
- Check frequently that your child is not carrying more than 15% of his or her body weight in the backpack.
To calculate the maximum weight recommendation, multiply your child's weight x .15 = maximum weight of their backpack
- Encourage your child to store as many items as possible in their locker rather than their backpack.
- Help your child understand how to properly wear a backpack--keeping straps on both shoulders, adjusting the straps to fit snugly and using the waist strap.
- Teach your child how to distribute the weight properly by putting the heaviest items low and near the center of the back.
Tips for choosing a backpack:
- Shoulder straps should be wide and padded to help distribute the weight evenly.
- Choose sturdy material to help prevent sharp objects from poking through.
- Use a waist strap to hold the pack close to the body.
- Multiple compartments help with organization and can even out the weight distribution.
