It seems straightforward, but the way your child wears a backpack can be physically detrimental if not worn properly. Gaynor’s Occupational Therapy Department has chosen to participate in The American Occupational Therapy Association’s National Backpack Awareness Day on September 23 to show students how to wear a backpack properly. According to AOTA, these are the steps your child should take when loading and wearing a backpack. Loading a Pack

• A child’s backpack should weigh no more than about 10% of his or his body weight. This means a student weighing 100 pounds shouldn’t wear a loaded school backpack heavier than about 10 pounds.
• Load heaviest items closest to the child’s back.
• Arrange books and materials so they won’t slide around in the backpack.
• Check what your child carries to school and brings home. Make sure the items are necessary for the day’s activities.
• If the backpack is too heavy or tightly packed, your child can hand carry a book or other item outside the pack.

Wearing a Pack

• Distribute weight evenly by using both straps. Wearing a pack slung over one shoulder can cause a child to lean to one side, curving the spine and causing pain or discomfort.
• Select a pack with well-padded shoulder straps. Shoulders and necks have many blood vessels and nerves that can cause pain and tingling in the neck, arms, and hands when too much pressure is applied.
• Adjust the shoulder straps so that the pack fits snugly on the child’s back. A pack that hangs loosely from the back can pull the child backwards and strain muscles.
• Wear the waist belt if the backpack has one. This helps distribute the pack’s weight more evenly.
• The bottom of the pack should rest in the curve of the lower back. It should never rest more than four inches below the child’s waistline.
• School backpacks come in different sizes for different ages. Choose the right size pack for your child as well as one with enough room for necessary school items.