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SEASONAL TIPS - September
Back To School
Welcome Back!!
The beginning of a new school year brings all the excitement of back to school shopping. When purchasing all the school supplies that your child will need for the upcoming year, please keep in mind one important purchase that often becomes a fashion statement rather than function:
Backpacks Doctors have been sounding the alarm for a while now about how book-laden packs can cause back problems in kids. When choosing the right backpack the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends to look for the following:
- Wide, padded, shoulder straps: Narrow straps can dig into shoulders. This can cause pain and restricts circulation.
- Two shoulder straps: Backpacks with one shoulder strap that runs across the body cannot distribute weight properly
- Padded back: A padded back protects against sharp edges on objects inside the pack and increases comfort.
- Waist strap: A waist strap can distribute the weight of a heavy load more evenly.
- Backpack itself should not add much weight to the load
- Always use both shoulder straps. Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles. Wearing a backpack on one shoulder may increase curvature of the spine.
- Tighten the straps so that the pack is close to the body. The straps should hold the pack two inches above the waist.
- Pack light. The backpack should never weigh more that 10 to 20 percent of the student's total body weight.
- Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments. Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back. Empty unnecessary articles.
- The back to school tips section of this web site offers tips on selecting
and wearing backpacks.
Great Schools.Net
- "A Pain in the Back:
Backpacks Create Health Problems For Kids."
More tips on properly wearing a backpack as well as alternatives and what parents can do.
Additional resources are available
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