I am a parent of three. My fellow parents can empathize with this: my kids LOVED their backpacks. LOVED THEM. TOO MUCH. As they headed out to school, I was shocked by how much they put in those packs.
And there is, in fact, a limit. While I might have laughed it off at the time, I wish I had been armed with the rules in this post.
The American Chiropractic Association recommends that your child's backpack weigh no more than 10 percent of her or his weight. An overweight backpack poses health risks for your kid.
Overloaded backpacks can cause back and shoulder pain as well as poor posture in children.
If it's not corrected, many of those problems can become chronic and cause your children problems when they become adults.
Here are some tips that will help decrease the risk of your child hurting their back:
ENCOURAGE your child to pack light.
Organize the backpack to use all of its compartments, to help distribute the weight.
Pack heavier items closest to the center of the back.
Go through the pack with your child weekly, and remove unneeded items to keep it light.
Remind your child to always use both shoulder straps.
Slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.