It’s that time of year again, and with the first day of school fast approaching, many parents, school-supply list in hand, are rushing to the stores.
Sylvaine Chassay is one of those parents, and tagging along with her are her three children.
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Checking off items from the childrens’ supply list, one essential item stands out — a school bag.
Chassay is shopping for her son’s first backpack and with so many choices, it’s not easy.
“It’s difficult to find a small size for his small body,” Chassay said.
The Quebec Association of Chiropractors is advising parents about the dangers of an improperly-sized backpack for children.
The wrong school bag can put strain on the back and shoulders and cause nerve damage.
The main reason for that, said Dr. Robert David, is because the bags are overloaded and too heavy.
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A school bag’s weight should not exceed 10 per cent of an elementary student’s bodyweight, or 15 per cent for a high school student.
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Chassay has tried several bags with her son in the store and Dr. David says that is the proper way.
“The best thing to bring to the store is the child,” He said. “The size of the child will determine the backpack you’re going to pick.”
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Dr. David stresses the importance of waist straps on a school bag to relieve some of the weight on the shoulders and displace it on the hips.
The back pack should hang below the shoulders and sit about two inches above the waist.
The shoulder straps should also be at least two inches wide.
Although it may seem cool, Dr. David says, “one-strapping” does more harm than good.
Having all the weight of the bag on one side causes the body to overcompensate.
Leaning forward or backward and having a hard time balancing are signs that the bag is too heavy and that a child’s centre of gravity is off.
The Quebec Association of Chiropractors has more information on buying the right backpack for your child.
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