As the summer draws to a close, it’s time for back to school shopping, class schedules and negotiating extracurricular activities. As your families’ schedules start to ramp up, here are some back to school tips for keeping everyone safe and sane this schoolyear.
1.) Getting to school – If walking or riding a bike to school, have your child use sidewalks when available. Walk with a friend or sibling and look both ways when crossing the street. If going by bus, cross the street 12 feet in front of the bus, always ensuring that you can see the bus driver and that he or she can see you. For teenagers driving themselves to school, be certain to allot enough time for traffic and parking. Practice defensive driving. Carpool when possible and practice schoolbus awareness. Be certain to stop for buses picking up or dropping off children and never pass a schoolbus on the right.
2.) Playground safety – With 80% of playground injuries arising from falls, ensuring that play surfaces are safe is a priority. Seek out playgrounds with surfaces like wood chips, sand, shredded tires and rubber mats. Avoid playgrounds with concrete, grass and dirt as they are too hard and unforgiving. With swing sets, seek swings with softer seats (avoid metal or animal swings), and full bucket seats for younger children (half buckets can cause babies or toddlers to fall out). For see saws, younger children should use spring loaded ones and have a rubber tire or padding between the seat and earth. Avoid adjustable see saws with chains as children can get their hands caught under them.
3.) Backpack safety – With more than 7300 backpack related injuries treated by doctors each year, backpack safety has garnered a lot of attention in recent years. Here are several tips for choosing, loading and wearing backpacks most safely.
- Backpack selection – Choose backpacks with two straps, ergonomic design, multiple compartments and a padded back. Backpack size should reflect the size of the child, and the bottom of the bag should never reach below the child’s hips. Reflective materials will help with visibility of children at night and hip and chest belts can defer weight from the back to shoulders and hips. Last, look for compression straps on the bottom and sides of the backpack. Tighten side straps to stabilize and compress the contents of the bag so that they are carried closest to the child’s back.
- Load carefully – When organizing the contents of your child’s bag, load items evenly. Place heavier items in first and recall that the total weight of the bag should never be greater than 10% of the child’s weight.
- Wear ergonomically – Both straps should be used and should be adjusted so that arms can move freely and the bag can go on and off with ease. The bag should rest evenly in the middle of the back. Remember to bend with knees to pick up the bag, placing one shoulder strap on at a time.
Final thoughts: Recognize the following warning signs that a backpack is too heavy:
- Change in posture when wearing the bag
- Struggling when taking the bag off or putting in on
- Pain when wearing the backpack
- Tingling or numbness
- Red marks
When in doubt, consult your chiropractor! We will happily fit your child for their bag and can provide adjustments to relieve the discomfort caused when bags are too big or too heavy.
Questions? Want more info like this? Don’t hesitate to ask; feel free to email us here , call us at 843-416-8218 or stop by Absolute Wellness Center in beautiful Mount Pleasant, SC. We are never too busy for you and your loved ones.
