Dear parents - postural defects in children most often develop in the first years of a child's school life! So which school backpack to choose?
This is because Early school children grow up very quickly and are not adapted to carrying heavy backpacks. In addition, in the kindergarten have definitely had more movement than at school, and their the silhouette is still in the making. Fortunately, in the first years of a child's education it is parents have the main influence on the choice of backpack... with each passing year it can unfortunately get harder and the assertiveness of the kids usually wins out over the good advice of the parents 😂
To prevent postural defects in your child you can do 3 things:
1. Check your child's posture regularly.
2. ensure that children get enough exercise during the day.
3. choose the right backpack for your child. Remember that for 10 months of the year your child will be wearing it on his or her back every day!
The range of school backpacks these days is so large, wide and variedthat can give almost anyone a headache. For the sake of parents' heads and children's backs - we are here to help!
What should the ideal backpack be like? There probably isn't one... but close to perfect it is!
1. Padded back with anatomical back and thick base - They are comfortable and stabilise the body, and the weight carried is distributed over the entire surface of the child's back.
2. Wide, adjustable and contoured braces and chest strapThey will ensure that the weight of the rucksack is evenly distributed over the shoulders and that the rucksack sits well on the spine. The width of the harness for this model is a minimum of 4 cm.
3. Lightweight, preferably up to 1300g! The latest recommendations from the Chief Sanitary Inspectorate state that a backpack should not exceed 10-15 per cent of the child's weight.
4. The size of the backpack should be adapted to the child's height and stature. Height, depth and width are important. The backpack should start at shoulder height and end at the child's pelvis. Ideally, it should have at least one A4-size compartment.
5. Adequate number of compartments, dividers, pockets and storage compartments. The more storage spaces in the backpack the better, as it will be easier for the child to keep things neat and tidy. Remember, however, that a large number of compartments usually goes hand in hand with a heavy backpack, which is something you want to avoid. Small pockets for small items are useful, as is a small zipped pocket for valuables such as money or a school ID card.
6. The look of the backpack - ideally the child should choose the graphics themselvesIt is a good idea to avoid backpacks with favourite characters, because as soon as the object of your child's fascination changes, you will have to replace it with a new one. It is advisable to avoid backpacks with favourite characters, because as soon as the object of your child's fascination changes, you will have to replace the backpack with a new one.
7. Lots of reflective elements - not only the tags, as these may break off over time, but permanent reflective elements, e.g. backpack borders, patches, etc. Reflective elements should be large enough to be visible from a distance, which will significantly increase our child's safety on the road.
The most common mistakes made when choosing a backpack:
- wrong size backpack
- lack of comfortable, ergonomic harnesses
- no reflective elements
- too heavy a backpack
- one compartment and no additional pockets
Buying a backpack online without first trying it on and being guided by the appearance of the backpack are two of the most common mistakes made 🙂
Are wheeled backpacks better than traditional rucksacks?
A team of Spanish doctoral student Eva Orantes - Gonzalez, from the University of Granada, conducted a study that compared how correct posture is affected by two types of backpack wearing - on the back and pulling it behind you.
The results indicated that 'wearable' backpacks are less ergonomic for children because:
- shorten stride length - which makes the child walk longer and carries the weight on his or her back for a longer period of time
- the child walks leaning forward to balance the weight on his or her backwhich significantly disturbs his/her posture and changes the position of the child's pelvis and shoulders
- there is no rest from the burden carried. When waiting, for example, for a traffic light to change at a pedestrian crossing or when stopping to talk to a friend they meet - the child constantly has a weight on their back. In the case of a schoolbag dragged behind, the child takes a break from the weight during each stop.
Eva Orantes also tested how the way children walked was affected by pulling backpacks of different weights. Analysis of the results revealed that as the load in the pulled backpacks increased, the children walked slower and their steps became shorter. In contrast, no changes were noticed in the children's posture. The conclusion of the Spanish scientist's study is therefore one - a wheeled schoolbag is more ergonomic than one carried on the back.
NOTE !!!👆
If you opt for a backpack with wheels, remember that it is important for the child to pull the backpack alternately - once with the right and once with the left hand. This is very important because when you pull a heavy object with one hand, you tilt your body in the opposite direction to balance the load. Constantly pulling a backpack with one hand can lead to scoliosis.
As you can see, a wheeled backpack is not the ideal solution either 🙄
What can be done to make a child's backpack lighter?
1. school book lockers.
The best solution is school lockers, where children can leave their books and notebooks. They only take home the essentials, the rest stays at school. Unfortunately, lockers for pupils are still a dream in many schools, but there is light at the end of the tunnel, because every year, the awareness of parents and teachers grows, and more and more pupils can use such a solution. Try to talk to the school management, sometimes together you can organise funds and space for such a place for the children at a low cost 🙂 .
2. the habit of packing only what is necessary in the backpack.
From the first grade onwards, explain to your child why the weight of the backpack is so important. Before leaving for school review your rucksack and decide together whether everything packed in it is necessary. Often you will find that your child carries all their books just in case, or that they have decided to take... almost all their toys to school today! Parental control in this matter is advisable 🙂
Parents of school children!
Consider the fact that even nhe best-fitting rucksack will not serve its purpose if it is worn incorrectly! A rucksack thrown over one shoulder and worn too low or overloaded will have disastrous consequences for the development of our children's posture.
A backpack that is too heavy or ill-fitting means back pain, overloaded muscles and the musculoskeletal system. Abnormal posture can stay with a child for the rest of their life. If changes in the child's skeletal system occur during the growth period (school period) they are very dangerousbecause they become fixed quickly and are difficult to correct later. This is why prevention of postural defects is so important. Their treatment is of course possible, but it is difficult, time-consuming, and school children always have a thousand more interesting things to do than do complicated exercises 🙂 .
Teach your children to take care of their bodies and to have correct posture and regularly check their spines. If you are unsure whether the posture is correct - . go to a paediatric physiotherapist and he will do a thorough examination and review your child's body.
Anna Bernaś
Physiotherapist
