Monday, August 8, 2016
Pack It Light, Wear It Right
by: Kate LeFebvre OTR/L
A Community in Motion
Take a
close look at the photo above. The
Minnie Mouse outfit, the competing plaids, the… oh wait, not the clothing. Look at the schoolbags. See my sister in the middle, with her
backpack slung oh-so-coolly over one shoulder? Our fashionista neighbor on the right, whose bag only features one
completely unpadded strap? I’m not
actually looking too bad – mullet bangs excluded – on the left, but in another
two or three years you would have found me with my straps loosened about as far
as they could go, bag slapping against my bottom with every step. Oh, and five pounds of added keychain weight.
Don’t
send your kids to school like it’s 1995.
Incorrectly worn backpacks can actually cause serious problems for
people of all ages. In fact, almost
28,000 Americans sought treatment for backpack-related injuries in
2010. Studies have found that well over half
of students surveyed experience some pain or discomfort from carrying a
backpack. Here’s how you can keep your
child safe:
- Keep
it light: a backpack should weigh no more than 10% of your child’s total
body weight.
- Choose
a bag with two well-padded straps – and insist that your child wear them
both.
- Place
the heaviest items closest to your child’s body.
- Avoid
lunchboxes that dangle from the bottom of the backpack, opting instead to
place it inside the main compartment of the bag – or have your child carry
it separately.
- Cinch
up the straps so the bottom of your child’s bag rests in the curve of his
or her lower back.
- Pick
a bag that’s sized for your child.
Preschoolers may look awfully cute in giant bags designed for elementary-aged
kids, but oversized backpacks aren't doing their little bodies any favors.
Check out AOTA.org for
more information on backpack safety.
And for those of you who've read this far looking for
fashion advice to prevent your kids from being the victims of such tragic first
day of school photos as mine? I’m afraid you've come to the wrong place; those Disney character shirts followed me to
middle school.
Sources:
http://aota.org/News/Media/Experts/Backpack-Awareness-Advisory.aspx
http://www.aota.org/DocumentVault/Backpack/44404.aspx
http://www.aota.org/DocumentVault/Backpack/44388.aspx
Sources:
http://aota.org/News/Media/Experts/Backpack-Awareness-Advisory.aspx
http://www.aota.org/DocumentVault/Backpack/44404.aspx
http://www.aota.org/DocumentVault/Backpack/44388.aspx
Labels: A Community in Motion, backpack, Backpack-related health problems, child development, Hartland, Lebanon, OT, pediatric, school, Upper Valley, Vermont
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