School bags over the shoulder can cause irreparable harm to health by distorting posture and negatively affecting cerebral circulation. The optimal weight of such a burden, according to scientists, should not exceed 1.5 kg, but in the conditions of a modern educational program, this weight is only made up by the belongings of a 1st grade student.
Most adults understand that a satchel or backpack is much more preferable for carrying school supplies than a shoulder bag. After all, they allow you to evenly distribute the load on both shoulders and back. In addition, the backpack is often equipped with a rigid orthopedic pad in the area of the wall adjacent to the back. However, the opinion of parents, as a rule, is of little importance for adolescents. They really want the bag to be, first of all, beautiful and fashionable.
Scientists' opinion on the dangers of a shoulder bag
In the course of scientific research, scientists have come to the conclusion that carrying weights on one shoulder should not exceed 1.5 kg. This norm applies not only to a student, but also to an adult, whose skeleton and posture have already been formed. I must say that even SanPin, despite the opinion of scientists, determined this weight only for students in grades 1–2 without taking into account the portfolio itself, which even for first graders weighs 700–850 grams. This means that parents should be more responsible when choosing a school bag.
If you buy a portfolio that is worn on one shoulder, you need to take into account the scientific arguments. The belt exerts pressure on the trapezius muscle, which directly approaches the base of the skull, and on the cervicobrachial nerves associated with the brain. As a result, after some time, there are temporal and occipital headaches, dizziness, which is not always associated with an uncomfortable bag. Like, from excessive mental stress at school.
The situation will not be better if you even stretch the belt diagonally, throwing it over your head and onto the adjacent shoulder. Posture is distorted from the constant carrying of a bag over the shoulder. Most often this is manifested in deformation of the shoulder joint (one shoulder is lower than the other). Depending on the severity, there may be problems with the cervical spine and thoracic spine. Blood circulation depends on this, which can easily be disrupted even from simple clamping of blood vessels on the shoulder. After all, they in the shoulder and forearm area are located very close to the surface of the skin. It is not surprising that even with a slight load on the shoulder, purple stripes can be observed on the body - bruises.
We compromise
You should not put pressure on the child or buy a school bag at your discretion without his consent. This will only cause a reciprocal opposition and reluctance to go to school. It is better to try to give convincing arguments about the negative impact of the shoulder bag on the further state of health and agree that the choice of color and pattern will certainly remain the prerogative of the student himself.
If, nevertheless, it was not possible to convince the child to purchase a satchel, then you should choose a shoulder bag with a wide belt (5 cm) of the optimal length, corresponding to the student's height. The bag should not dangle in the knee area or hit the child when walking on the torso. This will not have the best effect on gait as well. With sufficient funds, in addition to such a bag, you can also purchase an inexpensive soft backpack, which is also in honor of young people today. The main thing is that the straps are not too thin.
Although it does not have all the advantages of a rigid knapsack, it will be much more convenient with skillful storage of textbooks. By combining these two bags, you can preserve the health of your child. And over time, I think, he himself will understand what is more correct and more comfortable. Of course, the backpack can also be worn on one shoulder if desired. It is important to non-intrusively remind your child that you should not act like “everyone” in his class does …
