I think my middle schooler's backpack weighs half of his weight! There are times I can not lift his backpack because it is so heavy. I tell him to pull out some books and hold them because it concerns me that the weight will do some damage to his back or shoulders. At times I think he needs a rolling suitcase more than a backpack. The kids are not allowed to have the wheelie backpacks or suitcases.

How heavy is your child's backpack? Are you concerned about the weight of their backpack?

Probably 30lbs. I should put it on the scale and find out. I know it's tooo heavy for me to lift. DS has a locker but said if he goes to it after the last class, he'll miss the bus. So, he just brings all of his stuff home every day. I am concerned and have told him that if he misses the bus, I'll come pick him up. He needs to leave some of those things at school.

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Very heavy and yes, I'm concerned. I've brought it up to the teachers before and was told that they'd try to not have homework from multiple classes with heavy text books on the same days. Some teachers have an online text the kids can use, but DD doesn't like to read text material online (I don't blame her). Another teacher has two copies of the large text and the kids keep one at home, but she's still lugging 2 & 3 textbooks home sometimes on the same night...in addition to the binders and everything else they have to carry. They are allowed roller backpacks, but have to carry them in the hallways. I tried to talk DD into one of those, but she refused.

Lisa

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Way to heavy.....I'm always afraid my 7th grader is going to hurt her back. They can't carry backpacks during the day, so she lugs all the books and binders in arms during the day, because her locker is too far to get to between classes, she goes to her locker at the end of the day throws stuff in her backpack so it doesn't slide all over the place in the car. I think it's ridiculous the stuff they are supposed to carry. I think if the teachers had to lug everything around to every class, they might learn to make it a little easier on them....

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Something that some of you might want to check into that really helped with the weight of my son's backpack... his entire Math Book text series is ONLINE!!! Yes!

He almost always has Math homework so basically all that he carries home any more is his binder and his lunch bag -- this started last year and this year's book is online too. Thankfully... because it still is probably around 8-10 pounds?

They use McDougall Littell and I see that all of their textbooks are online although the school might have to give the kids a special code for access... not sure?!

Here's the link in case some of your kids use McDougall Littell:
ClassZone

My son's school has 2 floors and he says he doesn't have time between classes to get to his locker so he carries all his stuff. He says thats the way everyone does it.

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"Never loan your car to someone you have given birth too"

First check your child's bookbag to make sure they are not carrying unnecessary items. Yes, I know for a fact that books in the fifth grade average 4-5 lbs each ( I had to weigh them ). The book companies keep making the books physically larger. When I started in this school 20 years ago, our science book was 300 pages. Our book now has 600 pages. The size of the book is larger by an inch all the way around. I don't know what the solution is.

my kids backpacks aren't too heavy-perhaps they should be bringing home more books! I did have to chuckle though, the other day my 5yr. old put his backpack on before he sat down on the floor to put on his shoes. All of a sudden, he went backward and was flat on his back, his feet up in the air. He just looked at me and asked me, "Did you have to pack so many gallons in my lunch?"

My daughter's is really light and "doable". My son, on the other hand, has an outlandishly heavy backpack. He goes to the high school that has NO lockers so he carries so much just because of that. Also, because of his motor skill challenges, he does ALL his work on computer so has to carry around a laptop in his backpack also. Poor guy is stooped over like an aging old person. And it has been this way for 4 years now.....just wish it wasn't so "not cool" to use rolling backpacks like they could in elementary school. Also wish I could afford a lighter laptop for him, but am using a donated older (meaning heavier) laptop.

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Will the school provide him with a lighter laptop if he needs it for education purposes or could they make some sort of accomendations for him due to his motor skill challenges?