School Bags Update
Changes for the 2017-2018 Academy Year
School Bags @ Metropole
Recently we have had some parents approach us with the question of school bags and the strain it places on the child and their back, asking if we have any advice for reducing these issues. To help, we have prepared some quick and easy tips to ensure that as little weight as possible is being carried around throughout the day.
1. Students should prepare for the day ahead, not the week
A common cause is overloading the bag with every possible book and resource that a child could need. Encourage your child to check which lessons they have in the day ahead and only bring in their bag what they will need for the day ahead. This should significantly reduce the contents of their backpack and emboldens a child with a sense of preparedness and responsibility.
2. Clear any clutter from your bag
Some of our students are well known for hoarding clutter in their bags. Encourage your child to once a week go through their bag, remove old or unnecessary pieces of paper which are no longer required. By themselves small pieces of rubbish are quite light. Piled together or squashed in-between books the additional weight will quickly add up!
3. Choosing the right bag
Many different companies and bag manufacturers can be found stating they have the most ergonomically comfortable or weight balanced bag, but often these are not widely tested or come attached with a significant price tag. We recommend choosing a bag which has hip straps (as seen in the featured image below).
Although frequently associated with hiking, these bags have been designed with heavy weight and long distance in mind. According to research, hip straps can carry 80-90% of the bags weight, taking that weight from the shoulders and upper back and moving it to your lower torso. This allows your stronger leg muscles, rather than your weaker shoulder muscles, carry the load.
4. Ensure the straps are attached properly and tightened
So, your bag already has hip straps? Excellent! Now let us check we are using them properly. The strap will need to have padding (as seen in the picture below) to work appropriately. If they are smaller straps they will not bear the weight, simply stop the bag from rocking back and forth. The strap should sit just above your child’s hip bones and then be tightened until comfortable.
We hope these tips will help you and your child in choosing an appropriate bag and ensuring we protect all our own physical wellbeing. If you have any more advice for us or additional tips when choosing an appropriate bag for school please be sure to get in touch and let us know!