It’s that time of the year: the outdoor summer section of your local retailer has been replaced by the back to school section, which means that kids are soon going to be trudging back to class. If you’re in the process of getting your children geared up for the new school year, then there’s one item in particular that needs to receive more attention than just about anything else, and that’s your child’s backpack.
Your child is going to be carrying this around for the better part of a year, and they’re going to be filling it with any number of books and supplies during that time. As such, you need to make sure it’s not going to create any injury dangers. An ill-fitting or overstuffed backpack has the potential to produce some fairly serious back issues, and it’s up to you to protect your kids from these threats.
A new report highlights, with some help from the National Safety Council, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, how to protect your kids from injuries related to backpacks. Keep these tips in mind as you set out to buy school supplies. By exercising these precautions now, you might be able to avoid a visit to the doctor later.
You should bring your children with you to the store so that they have the opportunity to try the backpack on prior to purchase. That way, you can get a sense of how it fits and direct them on proper usage once they start heading to and from school. Monitor your child as he or she shrugs the backpack on. Place a couple objects in the back and make sure they’re walking in a manner that doesn’t look painful. That way, you can rest easy knowing that their actions won’t contribute to an injury.
When it comes to picking the backpack out, you have to pay attention to what kinds of straps are available. Thin shoulder straps can increase the tension placed on your child’s frame, so it’s not a bad idea to only consider backpacks that have plenty of cushion and width, thus easing the burden for your kid.
It’s also not a bad idea to opt for the type of pack that straps across the waist as well. This type of component gives your child the ability to keep the pack near their body, preventing the backpack from dragging them backwards. The less the backpack is able to move, the easier time your child will have avoiding injuries.
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