Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tips For Choosing Your Child's Backpack
School Backpacks complete the school supplies shopping list. These bags usually comes in many forms, sizes, styles and gimmicks. Undoubtedly, school backpacks evolves to a plain colored leather bag to a funny and flashy Dora Backpack which perfectly fit on children taste and styles.
In the street near school premises, parade of Disney, Nickelodean and Marvel character are observed before and after class which reminds me of the annual celebration of Rose parade. The most popular among the young boys were the characters of Batman and Spiderman while little girls preferred more on Doraprincesses of Disney characters.
These trend among the school Backpacks, however, should not overshadowed the purpose and health issues that young children encountered today. According to Dr. Orly Avitzur, a board-certified neurologist and medical adviser to Consumers Reports says that children can suffer low-back pain. "A heavy backpack is a strong contributor to low-back pain in children," Avitzur says, adding that carrying a heavy pack for long periods of time, carrying it on one shoulder instead of two, and climbing stairs while lugging a heavy load can exacerbate the problem. Further, he added that girls and shorter children are more likely to have back pain from backpacks, due to their smaller stature, so it's important to find one that fits well.
To avoid this alarming consequences of choosing the wrong backpack for your child according to Irene Diamond (Kids Backpack Safety:10 Tips For Choosing Your Child's Backpack), here are 10 backpack tips to help straighten out your little ones before they end up in pain!
Pack Selection - What kind of backpack should you get for your child?
1. Despite the ever-growing popularity of single strap backpacks, a double-strapped backpack will actually promote better spinal alignment through a more symmetrical distribution of weight.
2. The more padding on the straps the better, as this will help to relieve pressure on the shoulders and back.
3. Additional straps are a good idea as well; chest and hip belts help transfer some of the weight from the back making carrying around the load more of a group effort if you will.
4. As far as the actual design of the backpack goes, consider a pack with multiple compartments to not only help with weight distribution, but also it is easier to access the contents of the bag.
(An aside note: a bag with reflective material makes the wearer more visible to drivers at night.)
Pack Placement - How should your child wear a backpack?
5. The straps of the pack should be easily adjusted to allow easy on and off; excessive twisting when installing or removing a pack can take a toll on the back after awhile.
6. When wearing the pack, it should rest in the middle and lower part of the back where the muscles are strongest. When worn too low, the body will compensate by leaning forward and taking on an improper posture, which in turn leave muscles fatigued and more vulnerable to injuries.
Pack Stocking - How much weight is too much?
7. In order to prevent risk of injury the weight of a backpack's contents should not exceed 10 -15% of the wearer's body weight. For example, a 50-pound child should not have a pack that is more than 5 - 7.5 pounds. It's pretty easy to exceed that with just a few books and a couple of extra rocks, shoes or toys!
8. A good way to cut down on the load might be to only take supplies that are necessary. That means before each trip, either home or to school, checking and taking out what is not needed.
9. When organizing items in the pack try to keep heavier books and items closer to the back, this will ensure the back muscles aren't working harder than they need to.
10. If feasible, have two copies of a heavier text (one for school, one for home), so you don't have to carry so much.
Thus, it is important to consider the safety net of your children in choosing the next backpack you will buy for them, apart from providing their craving for cool backpack, safety measures should be imposed before anything else.
In the street near school premises, parade of Disney, Nickelodean and Marvel character are observed before and after class which reminds me of the annual celebration of Rose parade. The most popular among the young boys were the characters of Batman and Spiderman while little girls preferred more on Doraprincesses of Disney characters.
These trend among the school Backpacks, however, should not overshadowed the purpose and health issues that young children encountered today. According to Dr. Orly Avitzur, a board-certified neurologist and medical adviser to Consumers Reports says that children can suffer low-back pain. "A heavy backpack is a strong contributor to low-back pain in children," Avitzur says, adding that carrying a heavy pack for long periods of time, carrying it on one shoulder instead of two, and climbing stairs while lugging a heavy load can exacerbate the problem. Further, he added that girls and shorter children are more likely to have back pain from backpacks, due to their smaller stature, so it's important to find one that fits well.
To avoid this alarming consequences of choosing the wrong backpack for your child according to Irene Diamond (Kids Backpack Safety:10 Tips For Choosing Your Child's Backpack), here are 10 backpack tips to help straighten out your little ones before they end up in pain!
Pack Selection - What kind of backpack should you get for your child?
1. Despite the ever-growing popularity of single strap backpacks, a double-strapped backpack will actually promote better spinal alignment through a more symmetrical distribution of weight.
2. The more padding on the straps the better, as this will help to relieve pressure on the shoulders and back.
3. Additional straps are a good idea as well; chest and hip belts help transfer some of the weight from the back making carrying around the load more of a group effort if you will.
4. As far as the actual design of the backpack goes, consider a pack with multiple compartments to not only help with weight distribution, but also it is easier to access the contents of the bag.
(An aside note: a bag with reflective material makes the wearer more visible to drivers at night.)
Pack Placement - How should your child wear a backpack?
5. The straps of the pack should be easily adjusted to allow easy on and off; excessive twisting when installing or removing a pack can take a toll on the back after awhile.
6. When wearing the pack, it should rest in the middle and lower part of the back where the muscles are strongest. When worn too low, the body will compensate by leaning forward and taking on an improper posture, which in turn leave muscles fatigued and more vulnerable to injuries.
Pack Stocking - How much weight is too much?
7. In order to prevent risk of injury the weight of a backpack's contents should not exceed 10 -15% of the wearer's body weight. For example, a 50-pound child should not have a pack that is more than 5 - 7.5 pounds. It's pretty easy to exceed that with just a few books and a couple of extra rocks, shoes or toys!
8. A good way to cut down on the load might be to only take supplies that are necessary. That means before each trip, either home or to school, checking and taking out what is not needed.
9. When organizing items in the pack try to keep heavier books and items closer to the back, this will ensure the back muscles aren't working harder than they need to.
10. If feasible, have two copies of a heavier text (one for school, one for home), so you don't have to carry so much.
Thus, it is important to consider the safety net of your children in choosing the next backpack you will buy for them, apart from providing their craving for cool backpack, safety measures should be imposed before anything else.
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