Want to ease their load? It’s in the bag
Arecent survey by the National Parents Council showed that a third of primary school parents drive their children school because their school bags are too heavy.
And while there is little choice when it comes to what our children have to carry every day, parents do have a say in how they carry their books.
Martina Cloonan, a Chartered Physiotherapist with the Physio Company in Dublin, advises that there are three things to be mindful of when packing a school bag: the weight of the books, how the bag is packed and the way a child wears their school bag.
She advises weighing the bag to make sure they’re not carrying too much. ‘You don’t want the weight to be more than 15 per cent of body weight and ideally not greater than 25lb,’ she says.
When it comes to packing the bag she advises placing the heavier items towards the back of the bag.
‘You pack the heavier stuff in closer to your back and have the lighter stuff on the outside of the bag so if you can picture it, the bag’s not pulling you over because the heavy stuff is further away from your spine.’
The biggest concern is in the way children carry their bags. ‘Kids find it cool to wear their bag on one shoulder but it’s important to use both straps basically, so that you equalise the load out,’ says Martina.
She also advises not wearing the bag too low on the back, which can cause added strain. When it comes to choosing the right school bag, Martina says that parents should look for ‘a bag that has more than one compartment in it so that you can segregate the stuff on your back.’
‘Obviously the bag should have adjustable straps so that they have padding around the shoulder areas and that you can change the length so that the bag isn’t hitting off their bottom – the bottom of the bag should really be at waist level.
She adds that wheelie bags have their place, but their success depends on how the child pulls the bag. The correct way is standing up straight with the elbow close to their body.
Sarah Dockrell, Chartered Physiotherapist and Assistant Professor at the Trinity School of Medicine advises parents to ‘buy a bag that fits the child’. It might be tempting to opt for a larger bag that will grow with them but if the bag is too big it will be out of step with the child’s normal gait pattern.’ Sarah also advises putting the heaviest items close to the back which will mean less strain on the spine, and for children to place the bag on a surface and slide their hands through the straps instead of swinging the bag onto their backs.
Of course other factors come into play when choosing a bag such as cost, durability and of course, buying a bag that they will actually want to wear.
To that end there are several makes and models that can help to ease the strain of carrying around heavy books.
Ethically produced Irish label DUC stocks bags (sheep backpack, €40, picture 1) that comes with ergonomic padded shoulder straps to help balance the weight of books. Another Irish company selling bags that offer extra support is the Kildare based Ridge 53. The Loreto bag (€41.95, picture 2) comes with a padded back to relieve pressure and a rain cover.
On the durability front, Regatta Great Outdoors (€25, picture 10) stock backpacks in a hard-wearing material that come with adjustable padded straps and a chest strap.
Love them or loathe them, wheelie bags are an excellent option, some like this Freelander option (€26.99, picture 4) from Carews.ie can also be converted into a backpack during school hours. When worn as a backpack the Freelander bag also features a padded back and straps.
Future rugby stars will love this Canterbury Backpack (€22.40, picture 7) which features a separate laundry pocket for their kit and vapo shield technology to guard against rain.
Another bag bound to make you popular if you have a gamer in the house is the Minecraft bag from Argos (€34.99, picture 3). It’s waterproof and has the capacity to hold books, shoes, as well as featuring three external pockets.
For first-time pupils, a bag that makes going to school fun is a real plus.
This Sambro Hatchimal (€15.60, picture 6) school bag from Debenhams comes with a detachable lunch compartment.
Another great option is the Kidly Junior backpack (€25, picture 8) from Kidly.ie which has been designed for small shoulders in mind and comes with adjustable straps.
Finally, this printed school bag with reflective detailing from Dunnes Stores (€15, picture 5) is a great choice to keep them safe on dark winter mornings and is purse friendly to boot.