who thinks the weight of kids backpacks is crazy??

[ButterflyWings]

  My daughter is in middle school and her back pack is so heavy it is crazy,they do not have lockers so she must keep all her school books and such in her backpack..It is seriously heavy and she rips backpacks all the time..They will not allow her to use rolling backpack but my poor kid is getting back and shoulder aches from her backpack I find it disturbing..I have said stuff to school and they seem to think I am crazy..what do you think??

[kay7]

I went to school before they had middle schools.  The first year that I had any homework was my last year at the elementary school in7th grade and that was just a bit to get us ready to go to high school.  If I remember correctly, and I've been known to be wrong, it was math homework.  I do know that I got taught when in school as opposed to being sent home with work to do and no basic understanding of how to do it which is what happened with my grandchildren.

[remediagirl]

Yes!! back packs are way to heavy for our kids! My son is a sophomore this year and he keeps everything in his back pack because getting to his locker in the crowded hallway will make him late to class every time. He too has back and shoulder problems. Just doesn't seem fair.

[sommap]

I agree.  It is not right that hte kids are having back and shoulder problems because of heavy backpacks.  If the kids don't have lockers, what do they do with coats or jackets?

[chel3179]

My son is in Prek-4 and the teacher only really sends home a folder every day which isn't heavy but the lunch and snacks I pack for him every day weigh the bag down. hahahahahaha!!!

[ajann1983]

i remember those days. when i was in middle school they wouldn't allow us to go to our lockers in between classes so we had to carry everything. back then we weren't allowed to bring our backpacks with us to each class. when i got to high school we were able to carry our backpacks but we had to buy the mesh ones or the clear plastic ones so that they could be seen through

[lywb2168]

I am sorry for your daughter, but I kind of like the way my daughter's school works, I am not sure if all the school's in my area work this way, but the one where she goes is what they call a Secondary School, runs from 7th thru 12th with 1 wing for the MS and 3 wings for the HS.

But I have gone ot of topic, in my daughter's school they give the kids 1 book per class to keep HOME for the year, and then they have the same book in the classroom for the kids to use there, that way they do not have to carry their textbooks back and forth, just their notebooks/binders instead.  That way it saves the back of the kids, and they cannot have the EXCUSE that they "FORGOT" their book at school or home.  It is the best way to go on my opinion.

If the student lost the book at home then you have to pay for it, otherwise they returned to school the last week of classes.

[vmcutshall]

I think if the parents would all get doctors slips about the shoulder and back problems the school would have to do something, but who knows now days.

[noirlupe]

Yeah.   Add to that the laptop they need and the special calculator and it gets even heavier in high school. My kid is tiny but she manages to carry all that stuff around.

[jwallbank]

My Grandkids are in 1st and 5th grades. The school has a meeting with the parents right before school starts to give them a list of things needed for the year and a backpack is one of them. You ought to see what they put in my grandson's backpack, I think his backpack weighs more that he does. It is rediculous what they require them to bring home with them. My grandson weighs I think 45 lbs and I have check his bag and it has to weigh 25lbs. No wonder why you are finding more and more kids with back problems.

[sdenimandlace1]

I like the idea were the lady said they sent the books home to stay for the year, Wow, no more I forgot the book. what a great idea.  wish more school systems did that.

[dreamyxo]

I don't understand why they won't allow rolling backpacks.  I'm sorry but if it were my child I would get her a rolling back pack rules be damned.  If my child's back is hurting because of the backpack I would get a note from the doctor and send her the next day with a rolling backpack.  I'd dare them say one word about it and I would raise holy hell if they did.  I'll be damned if I let my child suffer like that.

What about photocopying the pages she is currently using.  They don't use the entire text book at all times.  They do chapters at a time. Make copies of the chapters she needs at the time and keep the books at home.  

[LenoraMinogue]

I think it's extremely unreasonable to not allow children to have rolling backpacks or lockers and just expect them to carry all those books around throughout the day. I'm surprised the school system isn't receiving more complaints about these type of neck and shoulder related injuries.

[samvlog]

My little bro carries 3 textbooks, 3 notebooks, a binder, and a lunch in his bag. That is seriously heavy, and it has caused back issues in some of his friends, luckily not him, though.

[natashaspy]

the school my son is a sophomore at is on a college campus, no lockers.  last year we went through 9 bookbags (luckily he can get the rolling kind).  this year he's only been going a month and a half, and is on his 2nd bag, and it's already ripping.  he's not rough on them, the books weigh so much that the material just isnt strong enough to support holding them in.  we weighed his bag not long ago, was just under 60 lbs!! ridiculous that they have to carry so much!