Take Away the Pressure of Heavy School Bags from Young Shoulders!

One of the most disheartening sights for a parent is when they see their kids carrying an uncomfortable heavy school bag every morning. Looking at their backs bent forward, making them difficult to walk is a nightmare for any parent. With books, pencil boxes, lunch boxes and water bottles, kids have to carry a huge amount of weight every day on their delicate shoulders which is a huge hazard to their health. Though parents blame the school authorities for this weight stress, what we don’t realize is that a wrong kind of bag is also responsible for a damaged vertebral column. Government authorities in India are taking big steps to eliminate the amount of weight kids have to carry each day. But, parents also need to invest some time in finding the right school bag for the kid. It’s time to Take Away the Pressure of Heavy School Bags from Young Shoulders! Here is how you can do it!

Are School Bags Wrecking our Children Backs?

School years are considered to be formative years, not in terms of education, but in terms of physical development as well. During these growing and developing stages, it is critical to prevent stress and dysfunction of a poorly designed bag. It’s not just the responsibility of the school, but also the parents to look after the development of a child. An uncomfortable, heavy back can lead to disruption in natural curve of the spine which can further lead to back and shoulder pain.

According to a survey

Many children from the age of 7 to 15 have complained of regular back, neck and shoulder pain. These figures are disturbing and raising alarms for the schools as well as parents worldwide.
Poor postures while carrying school bags is one of the vital reasons for spinal problems in kids. Kids carrying uncomfortable heavy bags for too long can also have serious long time affects on children’s back. Therefore, providing a good backpack is crucial for parents, but how to use them appropriately is also vital. Schools should start looking for other teaching methods to promote lightweight backpacks, while parents should start looking to purchase best kids school bags immediately.

Tips to Prevent Back Pain in Kids after Carrying Backpacks

As mentioned before, both school authorities and parents are responsible for reducing the increasing back pain episodes in children. There are certain tips mentioned, that can help in reducing backpack weight and prevent kids from spinal problems:-

1. Schools should focus on more practical education than theoretical. Since most of the schools in India are converting in smart schools, therefore, the need to carry books everyday can be significantly reduced.
2. Parents should buy school bags for kids that are more comfortable on back and shoulders. There is more to the bag than looks. An ill-fitted bag can cause back pain or nerve pain. The backpack should be appropriately sized and do not slip during the movement. It should have proper padding on the shoulders and the sides towards the back.
3. Encourage your child to wear their backpacks on both the shoulders, rather than carrying it on one. Carrying it both shoulders help in distributing weight equally, causing less or no damage.
4. School authorities should plan their study material in a way that the total weight of the bag should not exceed more than 10% of the entire child’s body weight.
5. The bag pack you choose should be sturdy and if possible, waterproof to prevent rain. The material should be firm and should not start sagging with weight that can create extra pressure on shoulders.
6. The straps of the bag should be adjustable and the backpack should have several pockets to even the weight distribution.
7. Encourage your kids to match their backpack with their daily time schedules. They should only take what they need on a particular day and nothing extra.

Where to Find Right Schoolbag for Kid?

While purchasing a school bag, there are many considerations that need to be made by parents. Keeping these considerations in mind is equally important to other purchases in your life. Here are some factors that every parent should take in account while purchasing a school bag:-

1. Assess the number of weight kids need to carry every day. Look at their daily schedules and find a bag accordingly that can easily carry the required amount of weight.
2. Online market is a huge place for shopping school bags. Parents can search school bags online as per their own conditions.
3. Keep your kid’s taste in mind while purchasing the bag, but like said before, looks should not be the only criteria. It should be comfortable enough to carry the daily load.
4. Purchase a bag that has several pockets and sections so that the kids don’t have to carry separate bags for lunch or bottle or other school material.

Bottom Line

Releasing physical pressure from from your child’s shoulder isn’t a rocket science. By choosing right kind of bags you can easily Take Away the Pressure of Heavy School Bags from Young Shoulders!