Why the weight in backpacks is harmful to children 

According to the World Health Organization, one school backpack should not weigh more than 10% of a child's weight. 

In February 2017, 48,000 Portuguese signed a public petition “against the excessive weight of school backpacks in Portugal”. In accordance with the Deco, who did a study at that time weighing 174 children and their backpacks, came to the conclusion that ”66% of the kids in the sample carried more weight on their backs than recommended!”.

"You parents must have a proactive and unequivocal role in monitoring this situation, weighing the children's backpack And alerting teachers or the school” explained the campaign coordinator “Look behind your back” in a interview to the DN Life section. “Excessive weight in backpacks is linked to muscle contractures, poor posture and excessive load on spinal discs”, comments the same DN article.

"THE repeated carrying of a heavy backpack may condition, in the future, serious back problems in children. In addition to the back pain that children probably complain about on a daily basis, this habit can cause increased wear and tear on the child's spine over time, seriously damaging your health in the long run" clarified neurosurgeon Paulo Pereira to Sapo Lifestyle.

Many times these back problems are staying camouflaged since children and adolescents often are not clear about the pain and problems they experience in their back. But we must be aware of the signs: if the children complain when they put on or take off their backpack, he has marks on the shoulders or complain that their shoulders, arms or hands go numb, there is to take immediate action.

The illustration of the HuffPost, portrays these problems quite well:

Who first has to monitor and manage the type of backpacks and the weight that children carry inside are the parents themselves.

The campaign Light Backpack, from the General Directorate of Education, recommends that parents follow the following recommendations:

• Acquire ergonomically suitable backpacks. 
  
• Acquire lightweight materials (cases, notebooks and other auxiliary materials). 
  
• Opt for notebooks or dossiers that allow the use of a single notebook or dividers. 
  
• Opt for backpacks with wheels (trolley type). 
  
• If you choose a backpack with straps :

• Check that only school supplies and equipment (electronics, computers, toys, etc.) are transported ) useful andstrictly necessary. 
  
  
• Check that material that is no longer usable is removed from the backpack. 
  
  
• Use light and sustainable materials whenever students take snacks to school.
   
• Promote awareness-raising actions in Parents' Associations. 

In short, first of all parents have to ensure that the backpack they carry children use is placed correctly, which carry strictly necessary and that the posture of your children is appropriate.

But some care will compete also to the school and the teachers, like the campaign Light Backpack recommends to them:

• Encourage the use of lockers, shared or individually, depending on capacity, allowing heavier materials to remain at the school.
  
  
• Distribute preferably the same room for each class, so that materials can be left in the room during breaks. 
  
  
• Ensure, whenever possible, that manuals stay at school.
  
  
• Plan the lessons predicting whether the manuals will be used, to prevent students from taking them to school when they are not needed.
  
  
• Notify students about which volumes and manuals are needed for the next class, allowing them to take only the necessary material.
  
  
• Select activities to do at home, when necessary, considering the material that needs to be transported.
  
  
• Plan ways to use notebooks or dossiers that allow the use of a single notebook or dividers.
  
  
• Promote the shared use of manuals, on a rotating basis, alternating the day on which different students take books to class.
  
  
• Promote awareness raising actions in each school, involving the entire school community. 

In addition to these solutions, the digital transformation school manuals and the teaching process in general. The existence of digital school textbooks, the use of Internet, for study and research, and to word processors and spreadsheets for preparing work and presentations, allows new features to students whenever used in a balanced way.

But this digital transformation also requires new care: students often need take the computers with you to school or university, carrying even more weight in the backpack. 

The acquisition of a computer light but sufficiently resistant to be carried on a daily basis and with the required performance to the student's tasks clearly places a challenge to parents.

The solution of the refurbished computers for students (link to article: why a Refurbished computer is ideal for students) comes to allow, the low cost, one professional quality and robustness, which would only be available at exorbitant prices, incompatible with the family budgets of most students and above all constituting a great risk as the loss or theft of this equipment remains a constant concern for parents.

Buy one refurbished computer, in addition to having a huge impact on the environment, means for the student to have access to a lightweight machine, much more powerful And robust that the non-professional machine, in a state practically new, but to a much lower price.

After all, the Students are or are not also professionals?