Just the thought of those black-and-white marbled notebooks is enough to make you nostalgic for the back-to-school season. But your kids aren’t as thrilled: September means lots of homework, which means bulging backpacks. Ouch.
Below, Dr. Sheeraz A. Qureshi, M.D., M.B.A., Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City, offers some tips on how to choose the right backpack for your little scholars.
1.Check the number of straps. Backpacks with two straps distribute the weight of the bag more evenly, placing less stress on the shoulders.
2. A backpack should have a strap that goes around the child’s waist to balance the backpack’s weight between the shoulders and hips.
3. Backpacks with wheels place almost no stress on the back and are therefore preferable to standard backpacks. However, some schools do not permit this type of rolling bag so check before buying one of these.
4. Wearing a heavy backpack can affect the way you walk. For children, wearing the backpack lower on the back seems to improve walking mechanics and may reduce pain.