Posted on: April 17, 2010
I was reading through this article and was reminded that it’s that time again, time to head to the store and buy school supplies again and get your little one ready for their first day of school. While at the store picking up colored pencils, crayons, a calculator you might consider picking up a new backpack.
You may be surprised to realize that your child has outgrown their old backpack, but when you pick up a new one make sure that it isn’t too big. There are also a few features that you should be on the look out for to make sure your child’s back is going to be safe.
First we’ll look at how you should pick a good fit. You’ll want to have your child put on the backpack and make sure that it aligns well with the curvature of their back. Also pay attention to how it rests on the lumbar region (lower back). It’s also suggested that the bottom of the backpack not extend more than 4 inches below their waist line. You also want to make sure that the shoulder straps are adjusted properly (approximately 1-2 inches below the top of the shoulders).
Because you want to make sure that the backpack is going to distribute the weight evenly and not be too much for your child to carry on a daily basis you want to look for the following features:
– Wide, padded shoulder straps that will help distribute the weight evenly
– A waist strap will help to distribute the weight evenly and reduce the amount your child has to lean forward.
– Also try to find a backpack with reflectors, or reflective tape, to help increase their visibility as the daylight hours become shorter. This will help them avoid getting in a pedestrian accident .
As a South Carolina personal injury lawyer I can’t stress enough just how careful we have to be with our children. The back is easy to injure and it’s never quite the same after a serious injury so try and keep your child’s back safe and strong. You’ll want to make sure that your little one isn’t carrying too much weight.
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