During childhood, adolescence and teen years the body is doing most of growth which means we have to be conscious of a few things.
As a chiropractor I recognize the importance a correct posture plays on the musculoskeletal system.
Heading back to school in a couple weeks, it’s reminded me to let you know the importance of school bags so I have a few tips for you to help keep your child’s posture and prevent injuries later in life.
- Bag weight – they say a child’s school bag shouldn’t weigh more than 10% of their body weight. So if your child is 40kgs their bag shouldn’t be more than 4kgs.
- Bag style, I know my kids are always wanting to have the trendiest bags but the best bag for your child is definitely a backpack.
2 straps and make sure they are wearing it on both shoulders and not just carrying their bag with 1 strap on one should. You can see what that will do to their posture if this becomes a habit.
Adjustable straps so it can sit correctly on their back. Hip straps are also helpful as this helps with weight distribution.
Having a few pockets in their bag also help so you can distribute the weight evenly and their bag isn’t lop sided.
If you can get one with padding this will make it more comfortable for them.
These days most schools have lockers for your children, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get one for them. That way they aren’t carrying all their books around all day. They can go in between classes and grab what they need.
If you have any questions for me. Write a comment below and I can answer them for you.
Share this so other parents can see and it may help them too.