My son wants to put the whole world in his backpack and we always have to argue over this now and then. Young man, do you even realise this is about your safety in particular? He always wants to take everything to school in a single backpack. 

As a parent, one thing you also want to check after getting your child fully prepared for school is backpack safety. If your child is carrying excess loads in their backpack, they stand a huge risk of developing some complications such as musculoskeletal disorder and postural dysfunction. Studies have established that close to 42 million children carry backpacks that are too heavy for them.

You probably did not know this before, and now that you know, you should start educating your child about safety practices. Here are a few backpack safety tips to put into consideration

Ensure the backpack is lightweight 

This is crucial because you do not want to add an extra load to your child’s books and other things in the backpack. Once the backpack is light, it would be easier for you to correct the extra weight added to the backpack. 

Use a broad-shouldered backpack 

A broad (wide) backpack helps the backpack to be comfortable while wearing it. When selecting a backpack, consider the one with wide shoulder straps, as this helps to maintain balance by distributing the weight across the shoulder instead of exerting the weight on one area of the shoulder. 

Ensure both shoulder straps are worn all the time

Consciously or unconsciously, children tend to wear one strap of their backpack out of fun or a habit. This causes back-related injuries because it exerts more weight on one area. To avoid this, ensure your child wears their backpack on both shoulders all the time. In case when a strap is damaged, repair it on time before the next time your child will have to take it to school. 

Use backpacks with chest and waist belts for grip 

The essence of these belts is to help lessen the weight on the shoulder alone when they wear the backpack. The chest belt distributes the weight around the upper body muscles, while the waist belt distributes the pressure onto their hips. 

Proper positioning of the backpack is crucial

Every backpack has an adjustable belt. This is for proper positioning. The backpack straps should fall properly between the shoulders and hips when worn to ensure balance. Educating your child about this goes a long way because you will not be with your child all the time when he/she is wearing the backpack. Most children wear their backpacks low, and this adds stress to the body. 

Remove backpack when standing for a prolonged period

Mostly after closing time, children get to carry their backpacks for a very long time while waiting for their parents to come to pick them up. Some of them even play around while wearing their backpack. It will help if you educate your child to put their backpack down whenever they are going to stay in a place for an extended period. 

Go for a self-standing backpack

One way to discourage your child from carrying their bags for prolonged hours is when the bag can stand on its own without falling off and getting dirty. Consider a bag that can stand on its own when placed on the ground. On those days that your child has to wait for long minutes before you pick them up at school, they would worry less at the thought of putting the bag on the ground.

Our article on five tips for settling your child into a new school will also interest you