My child carries a backpack to school everyday. How can I be sure that she's not injuring herself with the load? - Concerned
Answer: Most children are carrying a backpack to school. You should do the backpack test on her to determine if she is carrying too heavy a load? Ideally, the weight of the backpack should be less than 10 percent of their weight. The outer limit is 15 percent. Carrying too heavy a load can result in injuries to their spines. This is especially true for girls and younger students.
We realize that children might have to carry a backpack full of books because of heavy homework assignments. Plus, middle-school and high-school students might need to keep all of their books with them throughout the school day because their schools do not have lockers.
Backpack loads can be lightened by using lightweight packs, and they can be safer to carry if the heaviest books are placed close to the back. Sometimes, it is possible to rent or buy an extra textbook or two so it won't be necessary to carry so many books home each day.