How much weight should kids’ backpack be?

February 8, 2018 by Sana Younas

Every parent wants to do everything perfect for his child. Yet, we all make mistakes. Some of the mistakes are common enough to draw your attention towards them. We would like to cover one by one in our upcoming write-ups. For now, we will discuss the possible weight of kids’ backpack.

Dangerously overloaded kids’ backpack

Scott Bautch is a chiropractor and president of the American Chiropractic Association on Occupational Health. Bautch says that for younger children, backpacks are designed to carry 10% of their weight, up to 15% of kids over 12 years old. She further states that average fourth grader carries one-third of their body weight, which can lead to injuries and musculoskeletal disorders. To put this phenomenon in imagination, think for a person weighs 150 pounds, carrying 50 pounds daily, which could lead a real issue sooner or later.

According to US Consumer Product Safety Commission, as many as 7,300 kids per annum end up in emergency rooms due to severe backache related injuries, as reported by CNN.

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Remedies

In order to avoid injuries, parents should check the weight of their kids’ backpacks on day to day basis.
Choose the bag which is rightly sized and appropriately designed with enough breadth, additional shoulder padding, and multiple compartments.
Heavier books should be arranged in a way so as their weight is towards the bottom.
Finally, kids should be told to place bags on chair or table before lifting them on their backs. So, in order to avoid any wrong posture or twist.
It is also reported by parents that kids are usually fascinated by the visual appeal while selecting the bag. Hence comes the role for parents to choose the best, most practical and comfortable bag for kids.